Teacher calls for CCTV in classrooms

By Cara Simpson

A TEACHER who was unfairly dismissed wants to see CCTV in classrooms - to protect teachers.

John Whitehead, aged 51, of Lime Tree Park, Coventry, was sacked from his job at Corley special school in 2004 because of claims he slammed a child’s finger in a door.

Mr Whitehead, who had taught with an unblemished record for 24 years, was cleared of any wrong-doing by the police.

He took his case for unfair dismissal to an employment tribunal, which he won.

Governors at the school were criticised for the way they had handled the investigation into the incident and the way they had dealt with Mr Whitehead.

But the tribunal also felt Mr Whitehead should have handled the incident better, and therefore decided the compensation for losing his job should be cut by half.

But three years on, he is still involved in what he describes as a drawn-out legal battle with Coventry City Council, which he says refuses to offer him work, or give him references.

And even after signing up to 17 agencies, he has found it difficult to find teaching posts.

He has been forced to take any jobs going, including working as a chef, to make ends meet and pay mounting legal costs.

But although he now works part-time with disabled students at Henley College, the former senior manager’s salary has plummeted from £36,000 a year to about £11,000. He has

risked losing his house twice, and both he and his wife have received counselling for depression due to the trauma.

Now the father-of-two says he would like to see cameras installed in all classrooms to protect the rights of teachers wrongly accused of misconduct.

He said: “If CCTV was installed in classrooms it would solve a lot of problems.”

He knows his plea will raise concerns over costs and loss of

civil liberties. But he said: “Coventry City Council has spent well over £100,000 on my case. And what about my civil liberties? My career and my health have been taken away from me.

“Bankers and shop assistants work with CCTV around them all the time without any problems, so why shouldn’t teachers?”

A city council spokeswoman said the council did not have the powers to install CCTV in schools and any decision would be up to an individual school.

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