Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Teacher numbers just didn’t add up
North Lanarkshire Council’s former education chief has been reprimanded for providing false data to the Scottish Government over teacher numbers.
Andrew Sutherland, the former executive director of learning and leisure services, admitted charges of misconduct after falsifying data to avoid the council being hit by financial sanctions.
Sutherland was suspended by the council in November 2015 and resigned in February 2016 in the wake of the allegations.
However, at a General Teaching Council for Scotland disciplinary hearing, Sutherland, a history teacher, avoided being struck off but was reprimanded – which will remain on his record for six months.
The panel’s summary of the case states:“The anticipated figure would not have made the government target and would have resulted in the council being hit with a significant fine.
“The teacher’s intention had been to save the council from embarrassment and a financial penalty.
“He accepted the seriousness of the allegation.
“He submitted that the conduct was isolated and out of character.”
The panel also found that although the allegations against Sutherland were“very serious”, he had obtained favourable references from his current and past employers.
The panel stated:“The conduct constituted an abuse of a position of trust. However, harm had not been caused to any pupil.
“The teacher had admitted the misconduct.
“Further, the teacher had reflected on the matter, had shown genuine remorse and had taken steps to remediate. In particular, he had been candid with his present employer.
“The issue represented an isolated incident and there had been no repetition since nor did the panel consider that there was a risk of recurrence.”
In 2015, the Scottish Government’s thenfinance secretary John Swinney warned councils which failed to maintain teacher numbers and their pupil-teacher ratio would have their share of a £51 million funding package to boost the figures clawed back.
North Lanarkshire Council’s anticipated figures from 2014 would not have met the government target and could have resulted in a significant fine.
A spokesman for the council said:“Mr Sutherland no longer works for the council.
“We do not comment on the individual circumstances of our employees either past or present.”
He submitted that the conduct was isolated