Mosman High teacher sacked after students found sleeping in class

An English teacher has been sacked after his students were discovered spending his ­lessons “asleep”, “on their phones” or with their “heads on their desks”.

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An English teacher has been sacked after his students were discovered spending his ­lessons “asleep”, “on their phones” or with their “heads on their desks”.

Ruling Mosman High teacher Ian Greig’s teaching to be unsatisfactory, the Department of Education sacked Mr Greig, with the Industrial Relations Commission last week rejecting his unfair dismissal appeal.

The decision followed the department demoting Mr Greig from head teacher to classroom teacher at Monaro High School five years ago.

The Commission heard concerns about Mr Greig’s teaching were first raised in 2016 when the school’s head teacher of English, Peter Papilos, received an email from a concerned parent who was worried her Year 11 daughter was “not learning anything”.

Teacher Ian Greig has been sacked from Mosman High after students were found to be asleep in his class.

The parent said her daughter was going so far as requesting notes from a student in a different English classes to ensure she would not fall behind.

While students liked Mr Greig, they noted how they were behind other English classes on subjects to be covered, with up to 30 minutes of one lesson “setting up his computer on the smart board”.

The student was moved from Mr Greig’s class to another English class, along with three other students who parents complained their children were falling behind in their studies.

The transfer requests led Mr Papilos to observe one of Mr Greig’s classes, only to find students “on their phones, asleep or with heads on their desks”.

More complaints came from Year 8 students and parents, who claimed Mr Greig was “late to class” and “spent time on his iPad rather than teaching”.

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Despite undergoing the department’s Teaching Improvement Program, Mr Greig’s performance was deemed to be “unsatisfactory”.

In defending his teaching, Mr Greig said he had given his life to the profession, having spent 33 years service to the department.

He said he had worked hard to create education opportunities for children, while direction the Pacific School Games in his own time, organising overseas trips for students and preparing them for the HSC during the holidays.

In rejecting the appeal, Commissioner Jane Seymour said she accepted Mr Greig’s career had been damaged by his dismissal.

“However this is no different to any teacher whose employment has been terminated for similar reasons of unsatisfactory performance after a TIP process has been applied,” she said.

“He has not discharged the onus on him to establish his dismissal was harsh, unreasonable or unjust.”

Originally published as Mosman High teacher sacked after students found sleeping in class