An Alexandra teacher with 25-years’ experience was left\u00a0feeling \u201cgreat shame and regret\u2019\u2019 after being caught drinking on the job at an early learning centre.<\/p>\n
A\u00a0New Zealand Teachers\u2019 disciplinary tribunal found the woman guilty of serious misconduct.<\/p>\n
The tribunal heard the woman, who cannot be identified,\u00a0 was feeling the effects of having drunk two bottles of wine the night before.<\/p>\n
On November 23, 2023 while working at an Alexandra early learning centre, in a room with three and four-year-olds,\u00a0she had a drink bottle\u00a0containing cider, which she kept on top of a\u00a0large cupboard, out of the reach of the children.<\/p>\n
The teacher\u00a0returned intermittently to the cupboard to drink about 600ml of cider from the\u00a0bottle during the morning.<\/p>\n
Another teacher brought a child into the room and noticed the classroom teacher\u2019s\u00a0speech was slurred, her eyes were very red and glassy, and her words were not really making any sense.<\/p>\n
Another\u00a0teacher noticed she was sleepy and slurring her speech.<\/p>\n
When approached by the centre\u2019s co-owner she initially\u00a0denied being under the influence of any substance but after agreeing to let her employer retrieve the drink bottle, admitted to drinking alcohol.<\/p>\n
The teacher resigned two days later.<\/p>\n
A conviction for drink-driving in 2019 had come to the\u00a0Teaching Council’s minor\u00a0convictions panel, which\u00a0took no further action.<\/p>\n
The woman said at the time she was feeling stressed by circumstances both at home and work.<\/p>\n
She felt \u201cgreat shame and regret\u201d over her behaviour.<\/p>\n
She did not set out to drink while at work but found a bottle of cider in her\u00a0car boot and made \u201can impulsive decision that I deeply regret\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Tribunal found the woman \u2018s actions constituted serious misconduct but stepped back from cancelling her teaching registration\u00a0in light of her own rehabilitative work.<\/p>\n
However, if she returned to teaching she would have to show any employer the Tribunal\u2019s decision and update the Teacher\u2019s Council on her mental health and\u00a0 \u201crelationship with alcohol\u00a0for three years.<\/p>\n
The woman had let her teaching registration lapse.<\/p>\n
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