Too feel devastated for the wife of the teacher who has run off to France with his 15 year old pupil?

[chipsandmushypeas]

What on earth went through his head when he decided to do this?! The poor woman has taken all her social networks down out of humiliation I presume. link

Crazy.

Er ok reality check child protection rules don't bar you from ever being alone with a child!

er...she gave her consent, Mary. Professionally he is toast, but so far, esp with the French laws, he hasn't done anything he can be charged with in the UK. I don't think. Unless someone can come up with something?

Yes they do.

You can be two adults and one child, or one adult and two children, but never alone one on one (with the rare exception of tutoring where the classroom has a see-through door.

Have you done a child-protection course lately? Because that is one of the first things you are told.

Sorry, I meant taking her out of the country without her parents consent, Pan.

Mary - professionally yes! Which is why he is the burned bread stuff in his job. Outside of that he has not committed an offence under legislation in the UK.

She doesn't need her parent's consent to travel outside of the country. The kidnapping laws do not specify foreign travel. If it is can be inferred she can make her own decision then it's up to her what she does.

We're certainly strongly advised not to be alone with a student, ever.

I've done a fair bit of one-to-one tuition, & when we set it up (lots of English & Maths boosters after school for year 7-9) a couple of the things put in place were:

• only classrooms on two main corridors to be used - so not mine, as it's on the corridor above & there might not be anyone in the 4 other rooms up there at that time

• open door at all times.

Yes two weeks ago! There is certainly no rule that you should never be alone with a child! The fact that you have flagged up tutoring is an example of this!

News item just on this used bloke's wedding photo with his wife's face shaded out. Seriously, was there no other photo of him they could have used? It just violates the wife's privacy all over again. Of course they want to emphasise the 'married man' aspect, but they should have thought twice.

Pan I think your wrong as per child Abduction act 1984. Under 16s you need parental permission

When I was reading the 2003 Act earlier, it specifically said that even if you are in another country where the laws are different, you can still be charged.

Here.

I find it hard to believe that you weren't advised not to be alone with a child . Are you really allowed to give one child lifts home, for example, or be in closed classrooms with one child?

That would not be acceptable in my children's school. Or any of the sports clubs they attend.

Have any of the papers asked chris woodhead for his view on this?? He usually has plenty to say about the shortcomings of teachers

Not being alone with students is best practice but that is more to avoid allegations and ensure transparency than a set law or rule. As raven pointed out schools will put all sorts in place to try and ensure best practice but primary schools wouldnt operate if no one could ever be alone with a child!

Isn't that how they got Gary Glitter? Can't remember if he was prosecuted in Thailand or the UK now.

Generally considered good practice to be in earshot of colleagues & no closed doors, londonone. So you might be alone with a student in a classroom, but you'd be on dodgy ground if you closed the door or if the room was isolated from other inhabited rooms.

I know at least one school which restricts one-to-one tuition to tables in the library.

No but that is not what you! Ed psychs frequently do 1:1 assessments a do I in my role. We obvs keep doors open or have windows in doors etc. TAs sometimes have to work 1:1 or walk a child to the office. Huge leap from not giving a child a lift to never being alone with a child!

I was right - it is an offence to take a child out of the country.

The DirectGov site says "The law on taking a child out of the country
It is a crime for anyone 'connected with a child' under 16 to take or send that child out of the UK without 'appropriate consent'. This is set out in the Child Abduction Act 1984.
To explain:
the people ?connected with a child? are the child?s parents, guardians and people with a residence order or who have parental responsibility
?appropriate consent? is the consent of the mother, the father (if he has parental responsibility), the guardian and anyone with a residence order or parental responsibility, or the leave (permission) of the court"

Raven I am aware of those things as per my post I was simply pointing out that there is no law or blanket rule as such.

Would you take a single child in a car londonone? Because that was my point at the beginning - he took her alone in a car, which would breach all sorts of child protection rules.

I saw that as well Mary and assumed it applied but I am not sure he is "connected with the child" so don't know if it applies.

& lifts home has been massively tightened up in recent years.

I 'rode shotgun' with a colleague the other week whilst he dropped two girls home after an afterschool class; one of their parents was supposed to be picking them up but had a minor RTA, so colleague felt obliged to see them home - 3 miles walk for them otherwise, & it was peeing down!

sorry londone, x posted!

londonone - quoting the 84 Act..

In all cases where it is alleged that a child has been kidnapped, it is the absence of the consent of that child which is material. This is case regardless of the age of the child. A young child will not have the understanding or intelligence to consent. This means that absence of consent will be a necessary inference from the age of the child. It is a question of fact for the jury whether an older child has sufficient understanding and intelligence to consent.

The upper limit to 'non-consent' was advised to be 14.