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Education and Inspections Bill

My Lords, I support the amendment. We have made teachers’ lives difficult, for good reason in almost all cases. On the other hand, teachers have a hard task to perform and, in the classroom, additional vulnerability, not least to this kind of allegation, should not be imposed. Affording the degree of anonymity proposed in the amendment is only just, because one is innocent until proved guilty; it is also just in terms of the continuity of that teacher’s role in the school after the allegation has been thoroughly investigated. Finally, in its current form, the amendment provides for the right protection of children if there is a perceived risk due to the character of the offence committed by the individual.