Teachers found guilty of unprofessional conduct outlined in Teachers Registration Board of South Australia annual report

Kissing students in clubs, serial drug driving and dodgy text messages have landed SA teachers in deep trouble.

A new report from the Teachers Registration Board has detailed the poor behaviour of educators in South Australia in the past year.

A school teacher who kissed students at nightclubs, another caught drug-driving three times, and others who engaged in inappropriate conversations with pupils are among the educators found guilty of unprofessional conduct last financial year, a new report reveals.

The shameful behaviour of teachers has been outlined in the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia’s 2019/20 annual report, tabled in State Parliament on Tuesday.

The board conducted nine inquiries into allegations levelled against teachers last year.

Those found guilty of unprofessional conduct included:

■ A registered female teacher who kissed students nightclubs on two separate occasions. She was reprimanded, her registration was cancelled and she was disqualified from being a registered teacher until further order.

■ A formerly registered female teacher who was caught driving with illicit drugs in her system on three occasions between 2014 and 2018. She was disqualified from being a registered teacher until she met certain conditions relating to an assessment and treatment by Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia.

■ A formerly registered male teacher who engaged in sexually-explicit conversations and conduct online with school-aged people. The report also stated he frequented websites which “contained offensive material said to involve teenagers”. He was permanently banned from being a registered teacher.

■ A former registered female teacher entered a guilty plea in the Adelaide Magistrates Court to one count of aggravated assault against her then-partner. Prosecutors alleged she held a knife above the head of her partner, who then disarmed her. No one was injured. The former teacher was disqualified from being a registered teacher until further notice.

Another two formerly registered male teachers were also caught engaging in inappropriate communication with students. One was disqualified from being a registered teacher while another was permanently banned.

The report also stated the board undertook an audit of 249 teachers in February this year to ensure only registered teachers are teaching in SA schools.

It found three teachers were not registered, and described these cases as “oversights”.

“One was granted a Special Authority as an Early Childhood Teacher. One had expired registration, but was no longer eligible for registration,” it read.

“One did not meet the requirements for registration.”

The board sent a warning letter to their employers explaining their obligations.