A teacher defends kissing, cuddling and touching the behind of a female student by claiming that is the way he treats his own children. And how did the authorities respond to this pathetic defense of an indefensible action? They bought it hook, line and sinker.
A TEACHER who kissed and cuddled a schoolgirl defended himself by saying that was how he treated his own children. Jeffrey Cave, who taught at Willows Primary School, in Basildon, also pulled a boy’s hair and then told him that was how “teachers used to handle misbehaving pupils”.
He was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and has been reprimanded by the General Teaching Council.
Mr Cave touched a girl pupil on her bottom over her clothing, allowed her to sit on his lap, kissed her head and cuddled her.
Mr Cave admitted in his witness statement kissing her head and cuddling her, but said that was the same way he showed affection to his own children.
He said during police interview he stroked the pupil’s bottom over clothing in a downwards motion to test if her trousers were dry.
The hearing heard Cave. who has had a clean professional history for 26 years. was going through a period of personal stress at the time of the incidents, and his actions were not sexually motivated.
I have no doubt that the soft “reprimand” response came about from his defense. Their soft ruling sends a very bad message. The public must be reasuured that teachers can not in any way show affection to students in the same way as parents do. I am a parent too, but I have no right to treat my students like my children.
My message to all male teachers is to avoid being in a room alone with a student, act with professionalism and integrity at all times and keep your hands to yourself.
They are not your children, they are someone elses.
Topical Teaching 