Teacher oath against pupil relationships rejected

Flintshire county council considered a motion for teachers to take an oath

Councillors have rejected a motion which would have seen anyone working in education having to swear an oath against inappropriate relationships with pupils.

The controversial motion was discussed at a full meeting of Flintshire county council in Mold on Tuesday.

Education union NASUWT had said introducing the oath would have shown a shocking contempt for teachers.

While rejecting the motion, Flintshire county council has put on record that it abhors any abuse of children and young people, including the formation of inappropriate relationships between teachers and those they are responsible for.

The proposed motion, which had been put forward by Hope councillor Gladys Healey, would have involved teachers and school staff having to pledge in front of a manager not to form intimate relationships with students.

Ms Healey had said stronger measures were needed to protect children from abuse by teachers.

She proposed the motion following the court case of Gwynedd headteacher Neil Foden, who was jailed for 17 years in July after being found guilty of sexually abusing four girls.

Neil Butler, NASUWT's national official for Wales, said the motion served "only to bring the teaching profession into disrepute".

He said teachers in Wales were highly regulated and had to adhere to the Education Workforce's code of practice which explicitly stated they 'have a duty of care for the safety, physical, social, moral, and educational wellbeing of learners and young people'."

Mr Butler said any teacher who breached the code would face disciplinary action and potential dismissal.

"For Flintshire council to introduce its own oath would be showing a shocking contempt for the profession," he added.

'Risks undermining trust'

Laura Doel, national secretary at NAHT Cymru, said she was "deeply disturbed" to hear that a proposal to consider asking teachers to take an oath was being considered.

"This sends the wrong message to the public and not only does it bring the whole profession into disrepute, it is an insult to the thousands of dedicated teachers and leaders who go above and beyond for their learners, their schools and the communities they serve.

"To enforce something like this insinuates all teachers and leaders cannot be trusted, and our learners are not safe in their care. That is simply not true and grossly unfair to the profession.

"Asking them to swear an oath promising not to abuse children will achieve nothing and risks undermining the trust between teachers, school leaders, and families."

'Improvements needed'

North Wales Safeguarding Board is currently conducting a child practice review following Foden's sentencing, which local authority Cyngor Gwynedd has pledged to co-operate fully with.

It was described by the board's chair as a "vital step in protecting vulnerable children in north Wales".

But critics expressed concern that it would not go far enough.

Ms Healey, a Labour councillor who sits on Flintshire's education scrutiny committee, said current safeguarding measures needed improving.

She said the council acknowledged that there were still cases of child abuse by teaching professionals and cases of teachers forming inappropriate relationship with pupils and students who they were responsible for.

This happened despite safeguarding training taking place, as well as the code of professional conduct and practice established by the Education Workforce Council in Wales.

"The council deplores the formation of such relationships and actions which abuse children and bring about a loss of their childhood innocence," said Ms Healey.