Former Ivanhoe Grammar maths teacher Shane Underwood has registration cancelled by regulator

A former leading maths teacher who worked at public and private schools in Melbourne has had his registration to teach cancelled after pleading guilty to drug-related matters.

Former Ivanhoe Grammar maths teacher Shane Underwood has had his teaching registration cancelled by the regulator as he faces drug charges.

A former leading Melbourne maths teacher working in both the state and private sector is no longer registered to teach in Victorian schools.

Shane Underwood has pleaded guilty to drug-related matters in the Magistrate’s Court.

He is due to return to court in March next year and did not have a conviction recorded.

Mr Underwood, who described teaching as the “best job in the world” on social media, formerly worked at Ivanhoe Grammar and St Helena Secondary College.

He took leave from Ivanhoe Grammar in late term one 2023 and during this period the school became aware that he was the subject of an interim suspension with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT).

The school ended his employment in July 2023 as all teachers are required to be registered with the VIT.

The charges are not related to his time at the school.

While at Ivanhoe Grammar, he taught VCE specialist maths and recorded many popular YouTube videos showing maths solutions.

Shane Underwood had his teaching registration cancelled as he waits to face court again next year.

Mr Underwood has not worked at St Helena Secondary College, or any government school, since 2013.

Mr Underwood is no longer registered as a teacher by the Victorian Institute of Teaching, which means he cannot work in state or private schools.

The institute has suspended nine teachers so far this year, including Richard Barren, Justin Marks and Troy Ollis.

Mr Ollis was an English teacher from MacKillop College in Werribee before he was stood down, was arrested and charged by police in January with allegedly possessing and producing child abuse material, and sexually abusing a 16-year-old child in his care.

Meanwhile, Mr Barren was charged after Australian Border Force officers allegedly found child abuse material on his personal mobile phone during a baggage search at Melbourne airport.

The latest VIT annual report notes the education regulator in 2023/24 suspended 44 teachers on an interim basis, refused the registration of seven individuals and received more than 600 reportable allegations against teachers involving physical or sexual abuse.

It also prosecuted one person who was working as a teacher without registration.

As at June 30, 2024, the VIT had 2252 open matters for investigation originating from complaints or notifications about teachers.

Originally published as Former Ivanhoe Grammar maths teacher Shane Underwood has registration cancelled by regulator