Teacher’s ban for ridiculing pupils

A TEACHER who ridiculed and demeaned pupils has been struck off.

Andrew Gibson faced a fitness to teach hearing after a host of complaints against him that were said to have taken up 95 per cent of the head teacher’s time and had an impact on the whole school.

Mr Gibson was teaching business studies at Westhill Academy, near Aberdeen, when concerns came to light.

The General Teaching Council panel heard that in addition to shouting and swearing, he ridiculed one pupil’s work as ‘horribly wrong’ in front of the class and mocked other pupils, calling them fat.

Gibson, who was not present for the hearing and did not provide a statement, was found to be unfit to teach, and will not be able to re-apply to the teaching register for two years. He admitted some of the allegations and denied others.

The extensive list of complaints dated back to between February and December 2017 while he was employed by Aberdeenshire Council. A spokesman for the council said: ‘We note the decision of the tribunal. The member of staff is no longer employed by the council.’