Teacher accused of harassing teenage girl

A TEACHER has been accused of harassing one of his students during an illegal private lesson which took place in his home, with his only punishment being a transfer.

The Ministry of Education came up with the so-called solution, thinking it best to transfer the teacher to another school on the grounds of, “educational motives” rather than tackle the problem head on.

The incident is said to have arisen when the teacher apparently sexually harassed his teenage female student. It is not clear when the alleged incident took place.

The Head of the school where the teacher is employed and the student is enrolled, was informed of the alleged illicit behaviour, as was a social worker at the Ministry.

According to Politis, the student’s mother also contacted the Ministry’s Head of Secondary School Education, asking for the matter to be investigated. Several days later, it was decided simply to transfer the teacher to another school, with absolutely no indication of there ever being a disciplinary inquiry into the case. An investigating social worker assigned to the case also did not materialise.

Politis has also reported that the Deputy Head of Secondary School Education, Christos Pantelides, would only say that no written allegation or complaint had been submitted to him. When asked for the reasons behind the teacher’s transfer, he merely replied that transfers due to educational matters were pure procedure.

On Wednesday, Education Minister Pefkios Georgiades was informed of what had transpired. He immediately requested to be updated with further details as soon as possible.

Under normal circumstances, in order for an official investigation to ensue, a written complaint must be made.

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