A Bradford school teacher has been barred from teaching indefinitely after being caught hitting a student with a ruler during an art class.
Farooq Ahmed, a teacher at Oasis Academy Lister Park, was also found to have pushed and/or kicked a chair that another student was sitting on during the same lesson in 2023.
A virtual teacher misconduct panel hearing held last month upheld Mr. Ahmed’s complaints, determining that his actions violated the school’s rules on physical contact with kids.
The panel heard that in January of last year, Mr. Ahmed accepted a conditional caution from West Yorkshire Police for assault by beating in connection with the ruler incident.
A spokesman for the school stated that Mr. Ahmed departed his post in 2024 and that the organization’s “highest priority” was the safety and well-being of its students.
According to a report describing the misconduct panel’s conclusions, CCTV footage from the school recorded on November 24, 2023, showed Mr. Ahmed “pushing a chair on which a child was sitting” in one incident.
It went on to say that Mr. Ahmed could be seen “leaning on the desk to steady himself” and “moving his leg towards the chair.”
The misconduct panel’s report stated that “the child flinches, and it appeared to the panel to be a reasonable inference that Mr. Ahmed had kicked the chair upon which the child was still sitting.”
According to the report, Mr. Ahmed’s representative responded to the claim by stating that the teacher admitted to moving the chair on which the student was sitting, but that the student had also lifted up to move the chair under the table.
Mr. Ahmed admitted that his foot made contact with the chair but denied that it was a kick.
According to the misconduct panel’s assessment, Mr. Ahmed “flicked a ruler, which appeared to make contact with [another pupil’s] arm” in another instance during the same lesson.
In his defense, Mr. Ahmed stated that when collecting classroom resources at the end of a session, he hurriedly grabbed up the pupil’s equipment and removed a pencil from the pupil’s hand “by the top of the pencil.”
He added, “I made no physical contact with him; however, upon reflection, I was holding a set of rulers in my hand, and there is a slim possibility the ruler may have brushed his hand.”
In September, a Teaching Regulation Authority misconduct hearing panel comprised of three members, including a former teacher, a current teacher, and a layman, determined that both charges were proven.
Mr. Ahmed was banned from teaching indefinitely and is not permitted to teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation, or children’s home in England.
He may petition to have the prohibition order lifted, but only until 2027, at the latest, two years after the order was issued, the panel said.
Mr. Ahmed has the opportunity to appeal to the High Court within 28 days of receiving notification of the order.
A spokeswoman for Oasis Academy Lister Park stated that the problem had been “swiftly” addressed to the Teacher Regulation Agency.
“Safeguarding and the well-being of our young people is always our highest priority,” they said.
“We expect the highest standards of professionalism from all staff and take any breach of those standards extremely seriously.”
