Any teachers out there who can answer a curiosity question?

paddy's_mum

What would or should happen in the following scenario, please?

A British teacher in good standing in his profession is told that his nephew has been tried, convicted and jailed for several years for cruelty to his (the nephew's) 8 week old baby - so serious that most ribs are broken, as well as a skull fracture and possibly permanent brain damage is caused.

Is there a law to compel the teacher to inform anyone of this? Once he knows the fact, must and in what circumstances has he to declare it or is he able to close his mind to it and pretend it never happened or that he doesn't know?

If you were that teacher, would you expect to be able to keep your family's business to yourself or would you feel a moral obligation to let your superior know?

Many thanks if you can supply the answer that will settle a heated disagreement!

Pee

Whilst you may want to mention it to your superior so that he heard it from you rather than from someone else, where the facts may be altered from the truth, a teacher would not need to declare what his adult nephew had done.

If the nephew were applying for a job in the school this would be a different matter, or coming to live with the uncle on school property following his release, but otherwise I don't see how it affects the uncle.

Am I missing something?

onlyroz

I don't see how the behaviour of his nephew is in any way related to him, and he has no reason (moral or otherwise) to tell anybody about it at all.

jackieglasgow

I would think that it has nothing at all to do with how the teacher conducts himself, so there would be no need for him to gossip about it with anyone.

Tropez

I'm not a teacher but to the best of my knowledge there would only be a legal requirement if the nephew was at any time during the period of abuse part of the household of the teacher or that there was a period of time during which the teacher was in a position where he/she would have been "close" to the abuse. However, as a matter of course I believe it would be considered in the best interests of the teacher to have a quiet word with the headmaster informing them of the situation.

There is one serious criminal conviction in my immediate family and it had no bearing on my SIA licencing.

faithcecilia

I don't know about this particular situation, but I do know there is a question on the CRB form about convictions for family members, but not sure how close they would need to be. A friend who works in a bank had to declare when her sister got arrested for theft.

peachyprice

Why would anyone, in any profession, have to declare what another member of his family has been convicted of if they were not living under his roof?

podperson

Unless the nephew had been living with him or he had been in some way involved in the case (I don't mean involved in a bad way but maybe as a witness) then I can't see that it should affect him or that he has any obligation to let his workplace know. If it was going to be in the media or something it might be an idea just to quietly tell his boss so they don't become aware of it from another source but otherwise I don't see that he needs to do anything.

galvanizersbaby

To echo what other posters have said I'm not sure I understand why the teacher would need to disclose this

paddy's_mum

podperson wrote: »

If it was going to be in the media or something it might be an idea just to quietly tell his boss so they don't become aware of it from another source

This is my point of view. It has been published and may yet hit the national papers. Their surname is also relatively unusual and I suspect that if I were in Uncle's shoes, I would be telling my Head simply to prevent anyone making a malicious crisis out of a family drama, as it were.

Many thanks for the replies. I won my £5 bet :T

NAR

paddy's_mum wrote: »

Many thanks for the replies. I won my £5 bet :T

Ah the moneysaving element for this thread!! :rotfl::rotfl::T:T