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Teacher guilty over secret film Teacher guilty over secret film
(21 minutes later)
A supply teacher who secretly filmed unruly pupils for TV was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct, the teachers' professional body says.A supply teacher who secretly filmed unruly pupils for TV was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct, the teachers' professional body says.
The General Teaching Council for England said Angela Mason, from London, had committed a breach of trust.The General Teaching Council for England said Angela Mason, from London, had committed a breach of trust.
Mrs Mason admitted carrying out the secret filming for a Channel 5 documentary, but said she had acted in the public interest.Mrs Mason admitted carrying out the secret filming for a Channel 5 documentary, but said she had acted in the public interest.
The teachers' professional body has the power to ban her from teaching.The teachers' professional body has the power to ban her from teaching.
It has not yet announced what action it will take.It has not yet announced what action it will take.
Mrs Mason returned to the profession after 30 years and signed up with agencies for work as a supply teacher, with a view to taking part in documentaries, the GTC heard.Mrs Mason returned to the profession after 30 years and signed up with agencies for work as a supply teacher, with a view to taking part in documentaries, the GTC heard.
Pornographic imagesPornographic images
Using a camera hidden in her handbag, she secretly filmed at a number of schools in London and in the north east of England for the Channel 5 programme Classroom Chaos.Using a camera hidden in her handbag, she secretly filmed at a number of schools in London and in the north east of England for the Channel 5 programme Classroom Chaos.
She recorded a number of incidents of pupils misbehaving and disrupting lessons in late 2004 and early 2005.She recorded a number of incidents of pupils misbehaving and disrupting lessons in late 2004 and early 2005.
In the programme, one boy was shown telling Mrs Mason to "take a nap" when she attempted to restore order to the class.In the programme, one boy was shown telling Mrs Mason to "take a nap" when she attempted to restore order to the class.
Another was using a school computer to look for pornographic images on the internet.Another was using a school computer to look for pornographic images on the internet.
Mrs Mason said she saw chairs being smashed, pupils fighting in class and that she was sworn at by pupils and was falsely accused of touching them.Mrs Mason said she saw chairs being smashed, pupils fighting in class and that she was sworn at by pupils and was falsely accused of touching them.
Mrs Mason as a teacher 30 years agoMrs Mason as a teacher 30 years ago
At the hearing in Birmingham, the GTC ruled the public interest defence was not strong enough to justify the breach of trust implicit in the secret filming.At the hearing in Birmingham, the GTC ruled the public interest defence was not strong enough to justify the breach of trust implicit in the secret filming.
Issuing the judgment, Andrew Baxter - the chair of the GTC committee - said that secretly filming students would constitute unacceptable professional conduct in all but the most exceptional circumstances.
"She was employed and paid by these schools to teach pupils in her care," he said.
"In fact, her true motivation was to obtain secret film of the pupils for the purposes of a television programme. In that respect we find that her conduct abused the trust of the head teachers, staff and pupils at the schools."
Welfare of students
Mr Baxter said the committee decided that Mrs Mason had not deliberately mismanaged the pupils in her care to exacerbate classroom disruption for the purposes of the documentary, but she had failed to use up-to-date techniques to control their behaviour.
"Mrs Mason was, in our view, acting primarily as a journalist who was being paid to obtain secret film for a documentary," he said.
"This in our view was inconsistent with her role as a registered teacher."
The GTC cleared 60-year-old Mrs Mason of a second charge, of failing to promote the education and welfare of students by not managing their behaviour properly.
After an earlier hearing of the tribunal, Mrs Mason had said she was fighting the allegations because she still felt passionately about the profession she left 30 years ago.After an earlier hearing of the tribunal, Mrs Mason had said she was fighting the allegations because she still felt passionately about the profession she left 30 years ago.
She said she was "standing up for the supply teachers and other teachers" who had to "endure such behaviour every day".She said she was "standing up for the supply teachers and other teachers" who had to "endure such behaviour every day".
She originally left teaching to work in educational broadcasting.She originally left teaching to work in educational broadcasting.