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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Teacher guilty over secret film | Teacher guilty over secret film |
| (30 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 banned Angela Mason from teaching for one year. | |
| Mrs Mason admitted carrying out the secret filming for a channel Five documentary, but said she had acted in the public interest. | Mrs Mason admitted carrying out the secret filming for a channel Five documentary, but said she had acted in the public interest. |
| The teachers'professional body said she had committed a breach of trust. | |
| 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. |
| Chairs smashed | Chairs smashed |
| 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 TV channel Five 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 TV channel Five 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 ago | Mrs 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. | 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. | "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." | "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." |
| Public interest | Public interest |
| 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. | 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. | "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." | "This in our view was inconsistent with her role as a registered teacher." |
| What we were doing was in the public interest. I am clearly disappointed that the committee did not agree Angela Mason | What we were doing was in the public interest. I am clearly disappointed that the committee did not agree Angela Mason |
| 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. | 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. |
| Addressing the committee in her own mitigation, Mrs Mason said she had believed she was acting in the public interest. | Addressing the committee in her own mitigation, Mrs Mason said she had believed she was acting in the public interest. |
| "What I felt was that what was missing from the debate was actual evidence of what was actually going on. | "What I felt was that what was missing from the debate was actual evidence of what was actually going on. |
| "There may have been discussions in learned journals, but we wanted to bring to the public hard evidence of what was meant by low level disruption and the impact it was having on pupils and the teachers sent to teach them. | "There may have been discussions in learned journals, but we wanted to bring to the public hard evidence of what was meant by low level disruption and the impact it was having on pupils and the teachers sent to teach them. |
| "I believe what we were doing was in the public interest. I am clearly disappointed that the committee did not agree." | "I believe what we were doing was in the public interest. I am clearly disappointed that the committee did not agree." |
| After the judgment, a spokesman for Five said: "Five has been supportive of Angie throughout this case and we remain proud that our programme was an important part of an ongoing debate on disruptive behaviour in the classroom. | After the judgment, a spokesman for Five said: "Five has been supportive of Angie throughout this case and we remain proud that our programme was an important part of an ongoing debate on disruptive behaviour in the classroom. |
| "We are pleased the committee found the programme was undertaken responsibly, but disappointed that they decided to shoot the honest messenger." | "We are pleased the committee found the programme was undertaken responsibly, but disappointed that they decided to shoot the honest messenger." |