Teachers in Courier Country who had romantic or sexual relationships with pupils could still be working in schools.
A freedom of information investigation has revealed five Fife Council teachers have faced disciplinary action over inappropriate relationships with their pupils since 2002. The local authority refused to confirm if any of those charged lost their job as a result of their actions.
Dundee City Council refused to provide figures on the grounds there were fewer than five incidents.
Fife Council head of education Bryan Kirkcaldy said: “Fife Council investigates any allegations of inappropriate relationships in schools and operates within the GTCS code of professionalism and conduct for teachers. Incidents of such a kind are rare.”
A Dundee City Council spokesman said: “Teachers are in a unique position of trust and are expected to abide by the General Teaching Council for Scotland’s (GTCS) Code of Professionalism and Conduct, as well as Dundee City Council’s policies and procedures for staff. Any breaches would be subject to formal investigation and possible disciplinary action.”
Angus and Perth and Kinross councils said there had been no reported instances over the period.
All Fife cases were raised by parents, pupils or other members of the public. In its response to the request for information, Fife Council said data on action taken against each teacher could not be provided for fear of individual staff or pupils being identified. None of the councils was able to confirm the sex or age of any of the youngsters involved or if they had been primary or secondary pupils.
A GTCS spokesman said: “The GTCS Code of Professionalism and Conduct sets out the key principles and values for registered teachers in Scotland.
“This code states, not only to the profession but also to members of the public, the standard of conduct and competence expected of registered teachers. All teachers are expected to follow this code.
“The protection of children and young people and their educational wellbeing, along with the reputation of the teaching profession, sits at the heart of GTC Scotland’s Fitness to Teach regulation. We make no apologies for investigating and taking action if teachers fail to meet these high standards.
“However, it is important to say that the vast majority of teachers in Scotland do an excellent job and will never come into contact with our Fitness to Teach processes.”