MANCHESTER (UNITED KINGDOM)
Daily Mirror [London, England]
November 10, 2024
By Antony Clements-Thrower
Supply teacher Michael Good was teaching a class at St Anne’s Roman Catholic Voluntary Academy in Stockport, Greater Manchester when he shouted at an unruly pupil
A supply teacher who called an unruly pupil a “pathetic loser” was escorted from the school – but has escaped being struck off from the profession.
Michael Good admitted to “losing control of his emotions” while teaching a class at St Anne’s Roman Catholic Voluntary Academy in September 2021. A Teacher Regulation Agency Tribunal heard allegations he hit the pupil on his arm after repeatedly asking him to stop turning round and be quiet.
Mr Good admitted he “unprofessionally” called the pupil a “pathetic loser” as a witness described him using a “condescending, belittling and aggressive tone”, Manchester Evening News reported. In June 2022 at Tameside Magistrates’ Court, Mr Good was acquitted of assault in connection with the incident.
Following a three-day TRA hearing last month he was found guilty of serious misconduct in relation to the ‘pathetic losers’ comment. Allegations Mr Good had also hit the pupil on either his arm or shoulder and poked another student with a pen were found not proven.
In a statement, Mr Good said: “At the height of Covid-19 with the close proximity of the desk and students to where [he] had to stand, the very close quarters and persistent disruption caused to [his] lesson by one specific student and the sudden and unjustified allegations and threats to get his [REDACTED] and the police onto [him] for assaulting him.
“This was genuinely a one-off error of judgement and I have learnt from this mistake. It will never happen again.
“I have reflected…and understand and accept I fell below the standard required of a teacher. I cannot change what happened, but I can learn from it.”
In the wake of the incident, Mr Good said he undertook and passed a course on “awareness of effective behaviour management in the classroom. The panel decided against suspending Mr Good or striking him off due to his “unblemished teaching record and compelling character references”.
The panel said in a statement: “Mr Good accepted his response was wrong for any teacher but stated it was perhaps understandable at that moment. Mr Good admitted he shouted at Pupil A as he was annoyed and understood this could have upset the student, but there was no evidence of this.
“He stated every student deserves for the teacher in the room to be in control of their emotions, and he failed to do this for a moment, but this was not without context or provocation. Mr Good stated he could have used a quieter tone and better words but the reason for the emotion was the disruption needed to stop.”