Cheating teacher may face two years out of profession

Acheating Aberdeen teacher could be struck off for two years after watchdogs suggested his behaviour warranted a “significant” sanction.

Former Oldmachar Academy teacher Scott Brown turned in doctored assignments to the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and said youngsters must have been “copying each other” when he was caught out.

A tribunal yesterday decided that his fitness to teach had been “impaired”.

Mr Brown, who now teaches at Aberdeen’s private Albyn School, admitted making hundreds of alterations to media coursework during the 2017-18 academic year.

The SQA returned 16 similar assignments that were sent in for marking at the National 5 and Higher levels – four of which were identical and with others having identical sections. Mr Brown’s decision to alter assessment work impacted on the results of 22 students.

A General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) panel will now consider his punishment – and the shamed educator could be removed from the teaching register for up to two years.

Solicitor Sarah Donnachie, who acted as presenting officer for the GTCS, accused Mr Brown of a “very serious level of dishonesty” and voiced concern that a reprimand may not act as “sufficient warning” to others within the profession.

She said: “The teacher has admitted to dishonest conduct in submitting evidence and falsified pupil work.

“Mr Brown’s explanation of his conduct has changed over time. His first reaction was to deny and to say the blame lay not with him. A significant sanction should be imposed in order to adequately address the public’s concern with having a registered teacher continue to work with such a conviction.”

When initially confronted by senior teachers about the issues with assignments, Mr Brown had lied to bosses and claimed students had been copying each other in their own time.

He said that it had taken a “long time” to come to terms with what he had done.

Mr Brown’s legal representative, Claire Rafferty, called for a reprimand for her client, arguing he had undertaken training behavioural courses to change his behaviour.

She said: “A reprimand would uphold the confidence in the profession and send a signal to the

profession that the GTCS have recognised the seriousness of the misconduct.

“The order would be viewable to members of the public and they’d be aware of the reprimand on Mr Brown’s registration – it would act as a deterrent

upon other registrants. The matter represents an isolated event.”

Details of the sanction imposed by the GTCS will be published online.

Earlier this week, bosses and colleagues at his new school said they were aware of the matter when they

took Mr Brown on and pleaded for him to keep his job. Head of English Louise Webster said she trusts him “without reservation”.

Acting head David Starbuck said it would not be appropriate to comment until the outcome is confirmed.

Scott Brown admitted doctoring coursework while working at Oldmachar Academy.