Teacher struck off for helping pupils to cheat

A school teacher has been struck off the teachers' register for helping pupils to cheat in their exams.

Kirsty Parkes, who was a history and English teacher at a school in West Lothian, cannot apply to be re-registered for one year.

It follows a hearing held by the General Teaching Council for Scotland over two days in June.

Ms Parkes did not attend or seek representation. The incidents happened during the 2012/13 school session.

The written decision from the hearing said: "The panel was of the view that the conduct found proved had clearly called into question the respondent's fitness to teach.

"The respondent had failed to maintain appropriate professional boundaries in using a personal email account to contact a pupil."

Loss of papers

The panel said the teacher had also "failed to act as a role model to pupils" and had "failed to uphold the integrity of the exam process".

The statement added: "This was in relation to the inappropriate storage and loss of papers; allowing the SQA rules in relation to exams to be breached and in providing essays for pupils to use in exams.

"The panel was of the view that public confidence in the respondent and teaching as a profession had been undermined by the conduct."

The panel also found that the teacher's conduct "fell significantly short of the standards expected."

The complaint also included allegations that school procedures were not followed and that the teacher was dishonest.