Teacher ‘sorry’ over comments

A TEACHER has apologised at a professional hearing after writing “inappropriate” comments on a teenage girl’s homework.

An Education Workforce Council hearing in Cardiff was told that maths master Luke Stewart from £12,000-a-year St John’s College in St Mellons, Cardiff had written the comments in pink pen with the instructions “read at home” and “do not turn” on one side of the paper.

Mr Stewart, 28, denied accusations of flirting and showing favouritism towards the girl referred to as Pupil A but admitted to “unprofessional conduct” in writing inappropriate comments on an assessment paper.

Presenting officer Carys Williams said homework was returned to the girl in 2016 with the comments: “You have been really cold with me for about one third of the year – fair?”

She said Mr Stewart, who had previously given private tuition to the pupil, also wrote: “You cannot be horrible to the wrong people in life.

“Just think before you speak you can say hurtful things you don’t mean.”

Another comment read: “I helped you become your best, look what happens when I am not in the equation.”

Giving evidence, Mr Stewart described some of his words as “overly emotional” but said they were meant as encouragement and “borne out of frustration that the pupil had developed an extremely negative attitude”.

Mr Stewart added that he had also been suffering from a “negative attitude” caused by work-related stress at the time the homework was marked.

He said: “I would like to apologise to Pupil A and her family if [the comments] caused any upset.”

Mr Stewart, of Caerphilly, admits writing inappropriate comments and sending birthday cards and texting the girl’s mother and meeting with her outside school.

But he denies displaying favouritism, flirting, encroaching on Pupil A’s personal space and making inappropriate comments.

He also denies that his actions were “sexually motivated”.

The hearing continues.