Anonymity should be granted to teachers who are the subject of false allegations by pupils

The Telegraph reports that the vast majority of allegations made against teachers are false and that the cross-party Commons Schools Select Committee is seeking the right of anonymity for accused teachers, similar to the anonymity rape victims are allowed. The MPs revealed that one child aged just seven told a head teacher: "I will get you suspended."

A Government study suggests that only 1 in 20 of the thousands of allegations made leads to a criminal conviction.

These false allegations blight the lives and careers of the accused teachers. Many headteachers suspend these teachers too readily and bar them from contact with their colleagues. As well as the emotional and career cost to the teachers, there are substantial costs to schools in covering for the suspended staff. The Select Committee say that unfounded allegations should be deleted from the teachers' records.

It always seems to me that the teachers against whom these allegations are made are treated as guilty until they can prove themselves innocent, even though clearly many of the allegations are made maliciously, whether by a pupil or by a pupil's parents. And I contrast this manifest injustice with what happens with complaints made by patients or their relatives about negligence/incompetence/poor practice by health professionals. - Instead of the health professional concerned being suspended to protect other patients, pending investigation of the matter, the health professional is usually assumed not to be at fault; nothing is done to improve their competence/poor practice or whatever, and if it finally has to be admitted that something did go wrong, it is likely to be blamed on shortage of staff/overwork/lack of money and again, nothing done to remedy the faults. - And the people making complaints about health professionals are not maliciously motivated children or parents; overwhelmingly they are patients who have been harmed by the shortcomings of the health professionals or by the shortcomings of the system itself.

Two extremes, both mightily unfair and harmful: complaints about teachers dealt with in a way that harms teachers, complaints about doctors dealt with in a way that harms patients.

Hundreds of teachers are facing false allegations of abusing children every year, union leaders said.

Teachers' careers 'blighted' by false allegations
article in the Telegraph

Extract:

"More than 800 claims are being made against staff, according to the NASUWT union.

Many of the allegations follow attempts by teachers to discipline pupils who misbehave in class, it was claimed.

The union argued that teachers were seen as "guilty until proven innocent" and can face suspension, police investigations or disciplinary procedures if they are confronted with abuse allegations or claims they used excessive force against a pupil.

Even if a teacher is later cleared, the complaint is still held on record, they said.

Chris Keates, NASUWT general secretary, said the majority of allegations were unfounded and told the BBC that the situation was a "blight" on the teaching profession.

She said: "Whatever the outcome of the investigation, that will be on the teacher's file. If that teacher applies for another job that allegation will be resurrected under the Criminal Records Bureau check."

This is such a shame, and so unjust. It is so easy for a disturbed/disaffected child to make a mischievous accusation and permanently damage the career of a teacher wholly innocent of wrongdoing. It is completely against natural justice.

It is in sharp contract to what happens when genuinely damaged patients complain of harm done to them by medical staff in the NHS. In these cases, health professionals are routinely assumed to be guiltless, and the victims of medical negligence are treated as adversaries rather than suffering human beings in need of help.