'Incompetent' Fife teacher struck off

The General Teaching Council examines cases of incompetence in the classroom

A Fife secondary school teacher has been struck off for incompetence in only the third case of its kind in Scotland since 2008.

Gillian MacNaughton was removed from the teachers' register after a disciplinary hearing by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).

It found she had caused "actual harm to the education of pupils in her care".

Ms MacNaughton did not appear at the hearing but admitted all charges of serious professional incompetence.

The GTCS's disciplinary sub-committee said the teacher had failed to carry out national assessments and record pupils' progress.

And it found teachers who were taking over from her were having to proceeed without appropriate records.

The sub-committee also found Ms MacNaughton had failed to "evaluate and improve" her teaching despite support.

The GTCS later declined to name the school Ms MacNaughton was teaching at on data protection grounds.

Removal 'necessary'

The hearing was told that Ms MacNaughton was unwell during the period of incompetence between January 2007 and January 2009.

In its findings, the sub-committee stated: "Despite accepting that the respondent had suffered from ill health, it was decided that removal from the register was proportionate and necessary because the effect of the respondent's incompetence was to cause actual harm to the education of pupils in her care."

Last February, the GTCS announced Scotland's teachers would face greater checks in the future after a primary school teacher in Aberdeen was struck off for serious professional misconduct.