Teacher who “victimised” pupils is struck off 1/4/14
A Barra teacher accused over “bullying/ favouritism” and having her own “groupies”
has been struck off.
A professional standards panel which determined Janice Gross of Grean, Barra, is
unfit to teach.
The panel said she also demonstrated a “lack of honesty and integrity.”
The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) has also asked the Scottish Government
to consider banning Ms Ross from working with children under the Protection of Vulnerable
Groups Act, after concerns about the “psychological harm caused to pupils in her
class who she victimised.”
Janice Ross - who was one of two English teachers at Castlebay School - was found
to have failed to maintain the standards required of a teacher between January 2007
and August 2010.
Before she was sacked in 2010, the 49-year-old publicly embarrassed a teenage girl
in class, who asked what gossamer was, by telling her “she should know it because
it was used in condoms.”
She was accused of giving preferential treatment to a gang of favourite pupils, known
as her “groupies.”
It was claimed she failed to raise the alarm when a female pupil went off the island
to see her 24-year-old boyfriend instead of being in school, it is claimed.
The panel also heard Ms Ross was fined £100 and received six penalty points on her
licence at Lochmaddy Sheriff Court in 2007 for driving pupils and other young people
when she held only a provisional driving licence and had no insurance.
Ms Ross was not present nor was represented at a competency hearing held last month.
She indicated she was subject to hostility from her colleagues and suffered from
conspiracy and victimisation.
In a written submission to the panel she referred to support teachers the Comhairle
took in stated: “I was forced to accept complete strangers into my teaching world
who did not have the first clue about what they were supposed to be doing except
to be a menacing and threatening presence in my class.
On a review of the English department by a Dr Sangster, she maintained: “Abusers
and bullies allowed to rampage over my good reputation.”
The panel said Ms Ross failed to recognised “pupils might be harmed by her teaching
methods.”
It found she lied by claiming to have a full licence when applying for jobs.
It also determined she was not honest about being sacked from Castlebay School nor
revealing her driving conviction when applying for a job as a supply teacher with
Highland Council in September 2013.
The panel concluded: “The panel has had before it clear and cogent evidence of sub-standard
planning and delivery of lessons as well as persistent failures to carry out proper
pupil assessments.
“The panel has found extensive failings in the respondent’s treatment of pupils,
having a clique of favourites and victimising others.
“The panel has also noted with concern her unwillingness to cooperate and engage
in a professional manner...”
It added: “The respondent demonstrated both a lack of honesty and a lack of integrity,”
by giving false answers in job application forms.
The panel highlighted its concern of the “lack of insight and lack of any remorse
shown by the respondent.”
Ms Ross has the right to appeal.