Complaint over alleged teacher bullying referred for investigation
A complaint alleging the bullying of a student by a secondary school teacher was forwarded on Thursday to the education ministry and the children’s rights commissioner for further investigation.
“The complaint in question is directed against a teacher at a high school who, according to the complainant, makes insulting and derogatory comments regarding the personal situation of students,” the anti-corruption authority said.
The case was initially submitted to the authority but was later forwarded to the education ministry and the children’s rights commissioner, as it was deemed to fall outside its remit.
According to Philenews, the authority stated that the complaint did not concern misconduct within its investigative scope, despite involving allegations against a teacher.
The authority said the teacher is accused of making derogatory remarks about a pupil in front of other students, negatively affecting the child’s mental health, insulting their dignity, and fostering a hostile learning environment.
Philenews reported that the complaint emphasises the student belongs to a marginalised social group and faces social and personal challenges. The anti-corruption authority stressed that, for this reason, the student required respect and support rather than exposure.
Meanwhile, initial steps in the investigation have been taken, with an inspection scheduled for Thursday and efforts underway to gather information from the school where the teacher had been working.
“The teacher has not been suspended, but we have started the investigation process,” director of secondary education Giorgos Koutsides told the Cyprus Mail.
He added that a district education officer, accompanied by an inspector, would visit the school on Thursday to investigate the incident.
According to Koutsides, the complaint relates to incidents involving a single student, with the teacher reportedly making degrading comments about the student’s choice of attire and personal hygiene.
“At the moment, we have one complaint, but we don’t know if it concerns one case or more,” he said.
He added that the complaint was submitted “a few days ago” and that the teacher has not been suspended at this stage.
“We need to establish exactly, if this did occur, whether it happened over a prolonged period or involved other students,” Koutsides said.
Asked about potential consequences if the allegations are proven, he said there are guidelines and programmes the teacher could be required to follow as preventive measures.
Any decision on suspension, however, will depend on the outcome of the investigation.