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ecEd
The ONLY weekly voice for secondary education Issue 229 • November 5 2009 Price £1.00
www.sec-ed.com
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We must support
dyspraxic children
Our coverage before half-
term on the plight of
dyspraxic children sparked Study exposes damage
some very poignant responses
from teachers. SecEd
columnist David Torn writes
about his battle with the
condition, while deputy head
Geoff Brookes, whose son
done by false allegations
has dyspraxia, talks about
how schools and teachers
can, and must, help
Pages 8 and 9
DON'T ABUSE
Education, and Dr Heather Pipers, “We live in a sexualised society, scout and other youth groups. “The school staff have had false allega-
EAL success
senior research fellow at Manchester where there is a moral panic about impact on whole families can be tions made against them by a pupil,
MY NAME
Metropolitan. paedophiles,” she added. absolutely devastating,” she added. and that half of the 1,155 teachers
campaign
This week the academics spoke “We have heard of cases of male The researchers have given evi- surveyed knew of a case in their
Students with English as
about their work to SecEd, which teachers being accused of looking dence to the House of Commons’ own school where a colleague had
an additional language can
has been running its Don’t Abuse up girls’ skirts as they were pick- Children, Schools and Families been affected by malicious claims.
challenge and inspire schools.
by Dorothy Lepkowska
My Name campaign for the past ing things off the floor and of an Select Committee, which is inves- In half of all cases, the allegations
We look at some of the
four years to help raise awareness investigation into whether it was tigating allegations against school were dismissed.
fantastic work in this area
A new study, being published this of the damage done by false accu- appropriate for children to be asked staff. In their submission, they One secondary teacher told
Page 12
month, wil
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lift the lid on
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the impact sations. to feel their own diaphragm while called for anonymity for teachers researchers: “It is now a trend at my
and extent
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of malicious allegations Prof Sikes told us: “People tell doing breathing exercises during a accused of misconduct until a case school that if you reprimand a stu-
SecEd digital
by pupils aga
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st teach
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ers. us how brave we are to write such singing lesson.” could be proved, and a “cooling dent, they try and get you into trou-
The research, by academics a book because issues relating to Prof Sikes said that in another down” period of up to two days so ble. We are powerless against it.”
from Sheffielcampaignd and Manchester child protection procedures and sex case she was aware of, a male that the pupils making the allega- Julian Stanley, chief executive
and SecEd
Metropolitan universities, examines are not something many research- teacher went to log an incident with tions might retract any false claims. of the Teacher Support Network,
15 cases where claims of sexual ers would broach. However, we the headteacher after he had com- During this time, the teacher said the statistics were “shock-
impropriety by teachers against believed that there were stories out forted a female pupil grieving for a would remain in post, rather than ing but unsurprising” and has also
on Twitter
children were found to be false or there which needed to receive a recently deceased relative by touch- be suspended, but the school would called for greater anonymity for
unproven, and the implications on wider public airing, so people know ing her arm. “He was worried his ensure there was no contact between accused teachers and better training
Thousands of teachers are
the careers and private lives of the what is happening.” actions might be misconstrued and teacher and pupil. for those who investigate cases.
victims. She said that while children logged the incident before a pos- However, the push for anonym- He added: “The stress, anxiety
reading SecEddigital, a virtual
In each case, the full weight needed to be protected, existing sible complaint was made against ity was dealt a blow this week as the and depression created, often exac-
edition of SecEd, which is
of child protection procedures was child protection procedures were him,” she added. government published its response erbated by unnecessary and pro-
emailed out every week. brought to bear on the teachers fundamentally flawed and often “No-one is against protecting to the select committee’s recom- longed suspensions, can be deeply
You can sign up for free by
against whom the allegations were exacerbated already sensitive situ- children, but the pendulum has mendations, dismissing its call for damaging to a teacher’s confidence
emailing editor@sec-ed.co.uk.
made, including suspension from ations. She added that the combi- swung too far the other way and the consideration of greater ano- and motivation, and countless tal-
SecEd news and features are
their jobs and investigation by the nation of the procedures, and the teachers also need protecting.” nymity for accused teachers (see ented teachers have already been
police. notion promoted in official guidance She said some of the case studies page 2 for more on this). driven from the profession.”
now also available on Twitter.
The study, Researching Sex and that children were always innocent, suffered marital and mental break- Elsewhere this week, the
You can follow us at www.
Lies in the Classroom, was writ- inadvertently trapped children into down as a result of false allegations, Association of Teachers and • See page 2, Anonymity for teachers
14904 ATL Wedding Press ad 50x277 25/8/09 11:17 Page 1twitter.com/SecEd_Education
ten by Professor Pat Sikes, from their lies, making it difficult for with the children of some accused Lecturers (ATL) published its own dismissed by ministers, and also
Sheffield University’s School of them to back down. teachers being asked not to attend research showing that a quarter of see the editorial on page 6.
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NDWORSE.
WESUPPORTYOUTHROUGHOUTYOURCAREERASWELLASATTIMESOFNEED
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At the chalkface
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