The Government has announced that teachers accused of wrong-doing by pupils should not be automatically suspended, arguing that a lengthy period of suspension is a serious ordeal.
It is asking for comments on proposals to issue more detailed guidance on how to deal with allegations, as part of a wider consultation on how the education service should deal with issues of child protection.
Chris Keates, deputy general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, said: “Although suspension is supposed to be without prejudice, teachers face a climate at the moment where suspension is seen by some people as indicating guilt. Thought must be given as to whether it is absolutely necessary.”
