In the latest case of teacher misconduct, a relief physical education teacher in Singapore has been fired for inappropriate behaviour.
The former National Junior College (NJC) teacher was found guilty of sending inappropriate messages to female students from April to June this year, including asking one to meet him in his hostel room. He is currently a student at Nanyang Technological University.
One of the victims had complained to NJC’s vice principal.
“Our vice principal was alerted by the student’s parent about the inappropriate message sent in one encounter,” NJC’s spokesperson said.
“An immediate investigation was carried out. The relief teacher had admitted and apologised for his inappropriate actions. The relief teacher is no longer with the school.”
This puts the total number of reported cases to four – just over a span of three weeks.
In July, The Educator reported three cases of teacher misconduct in Singapore.
One teacher was jailed for having an inappropriate relationship with his 15-year-old student. Another was found guilty of molesting his 13-year-old pupil.
The third case involved a shocking drug scandal: a secondary teacher had asked her student to buy methamphetamine for her. The Ministry of Education (MOE) dismissed her from service during the investigation in 2017. Both teacher and student were charged separately.
Teacher recruitment is handled centrally by MOE in Singapore.
When contacted by The New Paper, an MOE spokesperson said it works closely with schools to safeguard the well-being of students and will continue to do so.
“MOE takes a very serious view of every case where staff fall short of expected standards, even for relief teachers,” she added. “MOE is working closely with schools to step up vigilance."
According to its spokesperson, MOE is stringent in its selection process. There are various screening processes and a panel interview with experienced senior educators.
The ministry also emphasises high expectations for educator conduct through regular conversations within the teacher fraternity to reiterate the Code of Professional Conduct for Educators.
The code was rolled out in 2013 and acts as a guideline for teachers, including rules for personal relationships with students.
To what extent is staff misconduct preventable? How do you ensure that staff remain professional throughout their time in your school? Share your comments below.
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