Ex-teacher ‘blamed kids for mental health issues’

Drumchapel High School was one of Francis Carlton's former employers. Picture: Geograph

Francis Carlton’s conduct at two Glasgow schools was “so serious” he could not be allowed to remain in the classroom, the profession’s watchdog revealed on Monday.

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In another incident, a fellow teacher placed himself between Mr Carlton and pupils to “buffer the pupils against his anger”.

It was revealed earlier this month that Mr Carlton had been struck off following a string of incidents, including intimidating a headteacher and challenging a boy to a fight.

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) issued its written judgement on the case, revealing shocking new detail about the veteran teacher’s conduct.

The GTCS said in its report on the case that, on one occasion in March 2012, four pupils in Mr Carlton’s class were “extremely upset”.

“One of the pupils was shouting that [Mr Carlton] was blaming pupils for his illness,” said the report.

“Another pupil was crying. [Mr Carlton] had been shouting at the class that he and another member of the school had mental health problems that were the fault of the pupils’ behaviour.

“[Mr Carlton] had stated he had mental health problems and that he was going to get a lawyer to the pupil.”

Mr Carlton, 65, who taught at Drumchapel and Castlemilk high schools, was involved in another frighening incident, also in March 2012.

He had pupils “lined up... and was pointing his finger at them and invading their space”.

The report stated: [Mr Carlton] was so agitated that Mr Sharpe had to place himself between [Mr Carlton] and the pupils to buffer the pupils against his anger.

Mr Carlton was “purple in the face” and “visibly shaking”, said the report. “[Mr Carlton] then entered his classroom before shouting, ‘I’ve had enough of this – I’m off”.

Anne Mallin, 54, said she heard Mr Carlton “shouting at the top of his voice” during an outburst on October 24, 2012.

She said: “I observed him to be shouting at one pupil, ‘Take that smirk off your face’ and ‘Are you stupid?’.

“I was shocked by what I saw. I observed his face being a deep red – the child looked startled.”

“It was clear in my mind Mr Carlton was out of control, out of order. I have never witnessed this before.”

Mr Carlton told the GTCS at the hearing in early October that he suffers from work-related stress, high blood pressure and irritable bowel syndrome.

He said he should not have been left to teach “miscreants” at Drumchapel and Castlemilk high schools and said city council officials should “hang their heads in shame” for not supporting him.

But the General Teaching Council for Scotland found seven charges against Mr Calton were proven and removed him from the teaching register.

The GTCS concluded in its report that Mr Carlton’s views on managing pupils’ behaviour were “entrenched”.

The report added: “[Mr Carlton] has not reflected appropriately on the situation or demonstrated any insight into his conduct and has not taken any action to remedy the deficiencies in his professional conduct.”

The GTCS said Mr Carlton’s mental health might “mitigate to an extent some of his conduct”.

But appropriate support was in place and he was teaching on a “much reduced timetable”.

“Taken as a whole [Mr Carlton’s] conduct, which took place at two different schools, is so

serious that it is fundamentally incompatible with being a registered teacher,” stated the report.

Mr Carlton declined to comment at the conclusion of the hearing.