The number of misconduct complaints against teachers in Otago is on the rise.
Statistics obtained under the Official Information Act showed complaints about competency, violent conduct, sexual misconduct, the use of alcohol and drugs, and dishonesty by Otago teachers increased from four in 2006 to eight in 2008.
During the past five years, 36 complaints about teacher conduct had been lodged with the New Zealand Teachers Council.
Of the complaints filed since 2004, only one was upheld by the Teachers Council Disciplinary Tribunal. A 28-year-old teacher was deregistered in 2006 after he intimidated and threatened to injure a 15-year-old boy.
The incident brought into question the teacher's honesty, morality and ethics, and whether or not he was of good character and fit to be a teacher.
Despite the increase, the number of complaints reported in 2008 is still lower than the nine reported in 2005.
Otago Southland Principals Association chairman and Blue Mountain College principal Kevin McSweeney said considering there were 2344 composite, primary, secondary and special school teachers in Otago, the overall statistics for the region were good.
"One teacher acting inappropriately is one too many. We expect all teachers to act appropriately and professionally at all times.
"But over five years, and given the vulnerability of teachers to complaints, the statistics are not bad. Thirty-six teachers out of 2344 in Otago is pretty good.
"It's good to know there are systems in place that seem to be working."
Nationwide, 233 formal complaints about teacher conduct were lodged with the teachers council last year. Nearly a third concerned alcohol and drugs.
The number of teacher misconduct cases have hit a high, with about 1300 teachers being reported on various allegations of misconduct in the past six years.
The allegations included serious misconduct, violence, viewing pornography, sexual misconduct, dishonesty, alcohol and drug use, and incompetency.
There are 90,000 registered teachers in New Zealand, but since 2005, just 40 have been referred to the council's disciplinary tribunal for formal proceedings over the most serious misconduct allegations.
Most of the teachers were censured, while 26 teachers were struck off for misbehaviour, mostly for sexual misconduct or viewing pornography.
