Malicious pupils ‘should be charged’

Published on 10/04/2012 00:00

Pupils who make malicious allegations against teachers should face criminal charges, a union has said.

The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers said false claims remain “an enduring problem”, blighting the lives and careers of accused teachers. The union called for urgent action to make sure that those responsible face punishment.

The union published figures showing that 103 of its members faced criminal allegations last year.

The figures were published as the Nasuwt passed a resolution at its annual conference in Birmingham arguing the most effective way to protect teachers from malicious allegations is “to make such an allegation a criminal offence” and called on the union’s executive to “take action”.