Teacher sacked by school after students taught wrong HSC maths course was in his first year

THE teacher at the centre of an ­“appalling” HSC blunder in which students were taught the wrong maths course only became a qualified teacher in the subject last year.

Sacked: Maths teacher Paul Withers taught students the wrong HSC maths course.

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THE teacher at the centre of an ­“appalling” HSC blunder in which students were taught the wrong maths course only became a qualified teacher in the subject last year.

Paul Withers, a permanent casual teacher at Coonamble High School in the central western plains, was sacked by education chiefs yesterday following a barrage of complaints from families. Education bosses are investigating how five Year 11 students and two Year 12 students were taught the wrong mathematics course over the past seven months.

Paul Withers was only in his first year of teaching maths to year 7 to 12 students.

It is understood education investigators are also looking at whether Mr Withers’ accreditation to teach in NSW should be withdrawn.

According to Mr Withers’ social media posts he only gained approval to teach mathematics last year.

In July 2016 he posted: “Just ­received approval to teach Mathematics 7-12 … a childhood dream ­aspiration fulfilled.” His Facebook account says he studied Mathematics at Charles Sturt University and in May 2016 he posted “Fully fledged Mathematics Teacher 7-12”.

This was Mr Withers’ first year at Coonamble High School, where he was employed as a permanent casual teacher.

His students had elected to study General Mathematics 2 for the HSC but were instead taught General Mathematics 1 since the start of the year.

The Daily Telegraph has been told Coonamble High’s current principal started work at the school 14 weeks ago and discovered the bungle, quickly alerting the NSW Education Standards Authority and students.

A social media post Paul Withers made about a student he taught in Batlow last year.

Last year Mr Withers worked at Batlow Technology School as a science and agriculture teacher for less than 12 months. A student there said she complained when he posted a conversation they had in Year 11 Biology class on social media.

TEACHER JAILED:

In a provided screenshot of the post Mr Withers wrote: “How to answer an antagonistic, belligerent cantankerous and insulting teenage student” before quoting an alleged conversation the pair had.

However, the Daily Telegraph was told last night that he had left Batlow via a compassionate transfer because he suffered from Raynaud’s disease, which is exacerbated in cold climates.