Former Dartford school teacher banned after night in car with student (From This Is Local London)

Former Dartford school teacher Moniruz Zaman banned after night in car with student

9:29am Wednesday 11th July 2012 in Education By Alan Woods

Mr Zaman was a teacher at the Leigh Technology Academy in Dartford.

A DARTFORD teacher who spent the night in his car with a female student has been banned from teaching.

Moniruz Zaman, 28, who taught IT at the Leigh Technology Academy between September 2007 and September 2010, also failed to act on the suicidal thoughts of the pupil by not informing the relevant authorities she was struggling with mental problems.

After banning Mr Zaman from teaching, the Department for Education’s professional conduct panel said his actions “carried the potential to bring the profession in to disrepute.”

The panel heard how Mr Zaman entered into an “inappropriate relationship” with a pupil in summer 2010, communicating with her through Facebook and telephone calls.

On August 11 in 2010 he spent the night in his car with the pupil, despite the girl's mother already telling him she was concerned about his contact with her daughter.

Teaching agency decision maker Alan Meyrick said: “Mr Zaman failed to encourage the pupil to take advice from others and failed to take advice himself in relation to the developing inappropriate relationship.

“His relationship with the pupil demonstrated a failure to observe proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher's professional position.

“Mr Zaman's actions carried the potential to bring the profession in to disrepute, particularly if they had become more public.”

It was also highlighted how Mr Zaman did not report the suicidal thoughts of the pupil to a child protection officer, instead keeping matters private.

The professional conduct panel considered the defence put forward by Mr Zaman, saying he had been put under pressure by the student.

They accepted his actions were not deliberate.

Mr Zaman, who admitted the allegations, was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct on June 1.

He can apply for the prohibition order to be lifted in two years time.

Mr Zaman had an "exemplary record"

Chief executive of the Leigh Academies Trust, Frank Green, said: “As soon as the allegations came to light of possible unprofessional behaviour from Mr Zaman, the nature of the allegation meant he was immediately suspended.

“He had been in our employment for two years and had an exemplary record up to that point and was a good teacher.

“However we were most disappointed by his lack of professionalism and even though this was the first time there had been such a breach of professional behaviour, in this instance the trust took the view that it was gross misconduct and needed to be treated as such.”