A maths teacher who was sacked for “chronic incompetence” could face a lifetime ban from the classroom.

Alan Buchanan, who taught at Glasgow’s Rosshall Academy, failed to appear at a fitness-to-teach hearing at the General Teaching Council for Scotland this week and was not legally represented.

The disciplinary panel heard Mr Buchanan had failed to plan and implement teaching programmes and did not communicate clearly with pupils; many of his lessons were poorly structured; he handed out little or no homework; he allowed his classes to become unruly and unmanageable; and his classes’ attainment was poor compared with other equivalent classes.

He allowed a group of boys to use “highly inappropriate sexual language” towards girls in the class, and failed to discipline a pupil who vandalised a window blind, it was claimed.

All the charges are said to have occurred between November 2008 and May 2010, when he was sacked for “chronic incompetence” by Glasgow City Council.

Mr Buchanan, from Rutherglen, Glasgow, was first employed at the school on a job-share basis in 2003, and despite concerns over his attendance was given a full-time, permanent position in 2008.

Rosshall Academy’s then headteacher, Rachel Renwick, and retired depute head Douglas West said they had received 17 letters of complaint from parents.

Despite receiving “unprecedented levels of support” from school management, Mr Buchanan did not seem to “maintain any improvements”, said Ms Renwick.

Acting head of faculty Richard McArthy said: “There was a problem with Mr Buchanan’s lack of communication skills. He did not connect with the pupils and he did not seem to have the ability to question and get feedback.”

The hearing continues.