How a Low‑Level ECE Teacher Conduct Case Ended in a Tribunal Hearing and a $2,106 Penalty
OPINION/NEWS – 22 May 2022
An early childhood teacher has been ordered to pay $2,106.18 following a decision by the Teaching Council’s Disciplinary Tribunal, after conduct that the Tribunal described as being at the “low end of seriousness.”
The teacher began working at an early childhood centre on 6 July 2020. Four incidents involving the teacher’s handling of children occurred between 6 and 24 July. The centre manager did not raise the concerns with the teacher until 24 July.
The teacher held a Provisional Practising Certificate. Employers should provide new teachers with an induction and mentoring programme. The centre chose to dismiss the teacher rather than address the incidents through internal performance management or professional guidance.
The Tribunal found that while the teacher’s actions were not appropriate, they were not severe. It noted that there were more suitable ways to respond to each situation. For example, in one incident involving a child running across the room, the Tribunal said the teacher could have redirected the child verbally rather than pulling on the child’s sweatshirt.
In their response, the teacher said: “I pride myself on being a professional teacher in the work environment and I understand that I am required to be gentle with the children in my care. This report is based on others making assumptions from their observations. They did not feel the need to come to me and talk about what they had seen.”
The Tribunal censured the teacher and imposed a fine. No recommendations were made regarding the centre’s management practices, the induction and mentoring of provisionally certificated teachers, or the role of the Person Responsible, who is legally required to supervise staff and ensure regulatory compliance.
The decision also did not comment on whether the centre’s handling of the situation aligned with its obligations under early childhood regulations and licensing criteria.
The case raises broader questions about how low‑level conduct concerns are managed in early childhood services, and whether some matters could be resolved through employee support and professional development rather than formal disciplinary proceedings. It also highlights the potential impact on new teachers, particularly those in provisional certification who rely on effective mentoring and guidance.
New teachers are an important part of the early childhood workforce, and significant investment goes into their training. Ensuring that concerns are managed fairly and constructively is essential for retaining qualified teachers and supporting their development in the profession.
1 comment
BENJAMIN STAGG
Same thing happened to me. Manager made no attempt to bring up any issues that she or the other team had against me intead she brings it up in a mandatory report a year later, 3 months after I resigned, falsely accusing me of being incompetent and abusive and using this report to justify not endorsing me even though there was no mentoring or support from her. It was enough for me to quit altogether but I wasn’t prepared to lose my degree that I worked so hard for. I wasn’t going to let her smear my reputation either. A lot of her statements made no sense, they had no context, she wrote down for example “gender roles”… thats it. Also apparently I marked a nappy dry but was wet when she checked it? But doesnt mention the time I wrote it down or the time she checked it. She was trying really hard to make look bad but just made herself look even worse at the same time. It was a horrible experience and I don’t wish it on anyone more importantly new teachers if she’s willing to destroy their career and reputation before it even started. She needs to be suspended from her role as manager but TC wont do anything.