A former teacher at Berwickshire High School in Duns, Scottish Borders, has been removed from the teaching register after making inappropriate comments about a pupil's clothing and threatening another student.
John Kerr, 75, who worked as a history and modern studies teacher at the school, made the remarks between December 2018 and February 2019. He told one pupil he would only attend the school show if she was wearing a "low-cut crop top and tight trousers". On a separate occasion, Kerr spat into his hands and wiped it across another pupil's arms before shoving them.
Abuse and Threats Directed at Pupil
Kerr then subjected the pupil to verbal abuse, calling them stupid, threatening to "kick their teeth in" and "wipe the floor with them". He told the young person: "You'll never be as smart as me...I have written over 50 books" and "You are thick and stupid...you will never make anything of your life".
He further menaced the pupil by declaring: "I will be the end of you, I will be the last thing you see".
GTC Ruling and Sanction
Kerr's behaviour was examined by the General Teaching Council (GTC), which ruled that the allegations had been proved after he attempted to deny them, insisting the conversations never took place. He received a one-year ban from teaching.
A representative for Kerr informed the hearing that, at 75, he had no intention of returning to the classroom. The watchdog deemed his conduct "very serious", noting it involved multiple pupils across three separate incidents and "displayed a pattern of concerning behaviour".
Struck Off the Register
Kerr's representative argued no punishment was warranted, but the panel determined that striking him off the register was "the appropriate and proportionate sanction". He was subsequently declared unfit to teach.
On his LinkedIn profile, Kerr describes himself as a "very experienced high school teacher" and claims to have written 30 school textbooks and educational materials for the National Library of Scotland, the Scottish TUC and the BBC.
A statement from the GTC read: "The Panel was satisfied that the public would be concerned regarding the nature of the teacher's behaviour in this case and that it would be viewed as conduct which was fundamentally incompatible with being a teacher."
The panel also considered that the public interest required it to take into account protection of the public, and that having failed to evidence that he had remedied his behaviour the Teacher did pose an ongoing risk. "Accordingly, for all the reasons set out above, the panel concluded that the teacher's conduct had fallen significantly short of the standards expected of a registered teacher and he is currently unfit to teach."
