Sex and the teacher!

What is it with us Anglo-Saxons. We have a rather unhealthy attitude to matters sexual it seems. Seeing as we all owe our very existence to sexual activity we seem to think that the body is a temple for the devil most times rather than being one for the Holy Spirit. Now there is a time and place for everything and it is seen by most people that sexual activity is a private matter. It is also one of total naturalness. However, it is also something for the exploiters to get involved with.

Today I heard that teachers are complaining about the new code of practice set up by the quango calling itself the General Teaching Council for England. This outfit has deemed it necessary to introduce a code. In part it says that teachers should ‘Maintain reasonable standards in their own behaviour that enable them to maintain an effective learning environment and also to uphold public trust and confidence in the profession.’ Some think this is a catchall clause to encourage snoopers. GTC Chief Executive Keith Bartley says teachers have nothing to fear. In response this is claimed. "The Code does not intrude into teachers’ private lives in the way that some have alleged. Personal misconduct outside school would only be drawn to the GTC’s attention if the alleged behaviour were serious enough to warrant dismissal. Provided behaviour is legal and private, this is a matter for individuals but the GTC will assess any behaviour that may damage the ability of the individual to fulfil their role because it has become public." Weasel words I'd say. "Assess any behaviour"? What is Mr.Bartley thinking of? Any person could take umbrage at a teacher's behaviour. "I saw Mr.Jones skinny-dipping!" or "I saw Mrs.Wright completely drunk at my neighbour's wedding". Such innuedo could well keep Mr.Bartley and his penpushers up all night.

Why we need such a code is bewildering indeed. Surely headteachers are the ones to weed out the wrong people. But that's during working hours. What a teacher does privately is nothing whatsoever to do with these New Labour snooper-types, unless it is criminal activity.

In Florida a teacher, Tiffany Shepherd, got fired from her job as a biology teacher because she posed for racy photos that appeared on the internet. What happened to her? She's ended up as a porn actress because nobody would hire her as a teacher. Now she could have done something else, but probably sees this as some kind of public payback plus an opportunity to make easy money. Was she a good biology teacher? I have no way of knowing but I bet that wasn't a priority for those who fired her. Have any of those involved in firing her been up to anything we should know about? In all these cases a certain degree of hypocrisy enters the arena. I'm all for decency and proper standards but that's for those around us to be vigilant. We should not afraid to speak up about our friends and family's behaviour if we are concerned. If we all acted a little more neighbourly we would not need pointy-headed bureaucrats cobbling together codes of practice.

So Tiffany Shepherd goes from teacher to floozy (her own description) for posing in bikini pics. Hardly that provocative, but I'm not a quango type. Now she's being manipulated by a seedy gent and his wife. "I told her, use ‘em before they fall to the ground. But God, does she need to work on her acting!" Biology's loss is pornography's gain. Some code, some practice!

Posted in: codes of practice,pornography,sexuality,teachers