Teachers Will Be Allowed to Search Pupils Of The Opposite Sex

[MicDundee]

http://www.sec-ed.co.uk/cgi-bin/go.pl/article/article.html?uid=82573;type_uid=18;section=Breaking%20news

Plans to give anonymity to teachers facing allegations should be extended to non-teaching staff as well, leadership unions have said.

They have also urged the government to rethink legislation that would allow teachers to search students of the opposite sex without a witness present.

The calls came as the House of Common’s Public Bill Committee began hearing evidence as part of its scrutiny of the government’s recent Education Bill.

Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, and Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, were among the first to give evidence.

The Education Bill passed the second reading stage last month and the Public Bill Committee met for the first time last week.

Among the proposals in the Education Bill are plans to allow anonymity for teachers accused of misconduct, and discipline powers that would allow teachers to search students of the opposite sex without another member of staff being present, if they believe the student could cause serious harm.

Mr Hobby told the Committee: “We welcome the introduction of anonymity for people accused of particular offences, but we would like to see protection from those allegations to be extended if possible to people who have left the school from pupils who have left the school. We would also like it to be extended to non-teaching members of staff.”

Mr Hobby welcomed the search powers, but said clarification was needed. He explained: “Broadly, we welcome these provisions, particularly for the signal that they send. We feel that the number of circumstances in which some of them will be used will be quite limited.

“I am sure that you expect the same thing. For example, particularly around opposite sex searches and no-notice detentions, there will be times when such things are inappropriate. We hope that the guidance will clarify what the suitable situations are.”

Mr Lightman echoed these concerns, stressing that teachers should not search a student of the opposite sex without a witness present.

He said: “I have been a head for 15 years. I cannot imagine a situation where I would sanction any of my staff searching a member of the opposite sex without a witness present. In fact, I wouldn’t allow anyone to search a member of the opposite sex, full stop.”

He also urged the coalition government to include anonymity for support staff facing allegations. He said this was currently a “major omission”.

[Banana Co]

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