By Cara Sulieman
A BOOZY teacher has been given three months to prove she has her drink problem under control – or face losing her career.
Education chiefs yesterday heard how Mary Gray had admitted turning up to work reeking of alcohol on three separate occasions.
She worked at Morgan Academy in Dundee when the alarm was raised after she arrived at the school smelling of booze in 2007 and 2008.
The art teacher – from Dundee – has now gone into counselling for alcohol dependency after the incidents on February 20 and March 21 2007, and March 13 2008.
“Some time”
Yesterday the Disciplinary Sub-Committee of the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTC) deferred their ruling on the case to see how Ms Gray gets on with her counselling.
Paul Marshall, the lawyer representing the GTC, told the panel that he had received a letter from the teacher’s own GP confirming that she had been referred to a counselling service.
He said: “The letter refers to the fact that Ms Gray has been aware of her high alcohol consumption for some time.
“She has been referred to the Tayside Alcohol Service and she should be given an opportunity to address her alcohol problem before the committee deals with this.
“I propose a period of three months to allow her to undertake this counselling which is in its infancy.”
“Not optimistic”
But Ms Gray’s lawyer, Andrew Gibb, told the panel – led by chair Carol Ford – that he wasn’t confident much progress would be made in the short space of time.
He said: “I am not optimistic here to be honest but a short period keeps the pressure on her and if she does well in the three months period we can defer again if necessary.”
No date has been set for the next hearing yet.
Ms Gray was not present at the hearing.
