Teacher is struck off over sexual comments

A TEACHER has been banned from the classroom after being found guilty of making sexual comments to pupils.

Maths teacher Kenneth Dickson, 30, was struck off for professional misconduct by the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

A GTC Scotland disciplinary committee heard how Dickson communicated “in an indecent manner” with pupils while working at Westray Junior High School at Pierowall in Orkney in 2008.

He told rude jokes, swore, and made sexually explicit comments to children aged as young as 12.

Dickson was not present at the hearing, and his solicitor withdrew from acting for him after he failed to attend.

The committee heard statements from pupils aged between 12 and 15 detailing the comments.

Pupils claimed Dickson accused other teachers of looking down girls’ tops and told one boy a fellow teacher wanted him to take his top off, saying “he’s going to rub baby oil on you”.

John Telford, convener of the disciplinary committee, said: “He failed to uphold standards of personal and professional conduct and he showed a lack of awareness that he was a role model to pupils.”

The committee also noted Dickson had shown no remorse during the disciplinary proceedings, however they did not recommend he be banned from working with children as he had not caused risk or harm to the children involved.

Dickson was suspended from Westray Junior High in October 2008 and was sacked by Orkney Islands Council ten months later. An investigation by the council said he posed a “potential serious risk” to young people.

Dickson, who now lives in Motherwell, has a month in which to appeal against the GTC Scotland decision.