Moniruz Zaman worked at Leigh Technology Academy

by Rachel Hovenden

A teacher has been banned from teaching indefinitely after he spent the night with a pupil in his car and failed to report her suicidal thoughts.

Moniruz Zaman has been barred from the profession after the "inappropriate relationship with a pupil" came to light and the teaching agency found him guilty of "unacceptable professional conduct" during his time at Leigh Technology Academy, in Green Street Green Road, Dartford.

The teaching agency panel report stated that during Mr Zaman's employment at the academy, between September 2007 and September 2010 he communicated with a pupil on Facebook and by phone about personal matters.

It found he also spent the night with her in his car after her mother told him "she was concerned about his contact" with the youngster.

The agency found there had been a breach of several elements of the Teachers' Standards including "knowing how and when to draw on advice and specialist support" and "treating pupils with dignity, building relationships rooted in mutual respect, and at all times observing proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher's professional position/having regard for the need to safeguard pupil's well-being".

"he was a silly young man who made a silly mistake…” – frank green, from leigh technology academy

The report said: "His relationship with the pupil demonstrated a failure to observe proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher's professional position.

"He failed to show regard to the need to safeguard the well-being of the pupil.

"We also note that Mr Zaman failed to act on the suicidal thoughts of the pupil, which should have been reported to a designated child protection officer.

"Matters remained private between himself, the pupil and the pupil's parents, but Mr Zaman's actions carried the potential to bring the profession into disrepute, particularly if they had become more public."

The panel felt that Mr Zaman showed no signs of having learnt from the experience and, though a relatively inexperienced teacher and only recently qualified, his understanding of child protection issues should have been at the front of his mind.

It accepted his actions were not deliberate "in that they generally involved acquiescence on his part". It also agreed the student had put pressure on him but did not amount to duress.

The Secretary of State has banned Mr Zaman from teaching indefinitely. He can apply for the order to be lifted in June 2014 and his request would then be considered by another panel.

Chief executive of the Leigh Technology Academy, Frank Green, said: "We dealt with it and we reported it.

"There was a situation with a young teacher who did something stupid.

"We found out pretty quickly and reported it to the teaching council.
He was a silly young man who made a silly mistake.

"He was a good teacher. We had no problems about his teaching. It was a first-time breach and we reported it straight away."