An IT teacher has been permanently banned from the profession after he repeatedly watched pornography with his students.
Bolanle Kareem was caught on several occasions allowing his students to access and view pornographic images on an interactive whiteboard, a teaching misconduct panel heard.
The panel was told the 61-year-old used a quiz programme to access the explicit content at the Medway Secure Training Centre in Kent and was caught in the act trying to enlarge images and play porn videos to his ‘vulnerable’ students.
On one occasion he was even seen watching pornographic material alone with one student whilst ‘laughing and joking’.
A teaching misconduct panel has now banned Kareem from ever teaching in the country again, saying his actions brought the profession into disrepute.
Bolanle Kareem has been banned from teaching after being caught showing students pornographic material during his classes at Medway Secure Training Centre in Rochester
The panel, chaired by Nicola Hartley, heard Kareem had begun teaching at the Medway Secure Training Centre in Rochester, Kent, in July 2018 as a full-time IT teacher.
The educational services at the centre, which has now closed, were provided at the time by the educational charity Nacro.
Kareem had first qualified as a teacher back in 2012.
The panel heard that in November 2019, the centre reviewed CCTV footage of lessons delivered by Kareem.
Further footage was then reviewed and he was reported to the local authority, the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) and the police.
The panel found multiple examples of Kareem showing and allowing his students to access pornographic material during class time.
During one lesson at the beginning of November 2019, he allowed students to view explicit images via a software programme called Kahoot Quiz.
These images were exhibited to the class on an interactive whiteboard, and the panel heard Kareem even ‘took steps’ to enlarge a pornographic image and interacted with the quiz ‘for a lengthy period’ to generate further images.
The following week, the panel heard Kareem ‘attempted to play a pornographic video’ to his students, with CCTV footage showing him repeatedly pressing the play icon over an explicit image.
Two days later, Kareem was seen on video watching porn during class time whilst ‘alone with one student’.
The panel were also told that the IT teacher inserted his staff-level key fob in the interactive whiteboard to enable his students, who had limited internet access, to let them watch pornographic material during class.
Other footage showed students ‘simulating sex acts’ during Kareem’s lessons.
The panel heard that though some of these acts were observed by the teacher, the students were neither ‘admonished or disciplined’ for their behaviour – with Kareem even appearing to draw the attention of the class to the act in one instance.
The misconduct panel found all allegations against the IT teacher to be proven, deciding his actions had brought the profession into disrepute.
Kareem was neither present for the hearing or represented.
Panel chair Nicola Hartley said: ‘It is not acceptable professional conduct for a teacher to facilitate the watching of pornographic videos or to fail to report serious safeguarding concerns.
‘Mr Kareem’s behaviour in facilitating the watching of pornographic videos by students and failing to report serious safeguarding concerns would be considered behaviour that brings the profession into disrepute.
‘Within the approximately nine hours of CCTV footage viewed by the panel, there was no evidence that Mr Kareem had been physically threatened by a student.
‘Throughout the CCTV footage, Mr Kareem appeared relaxed in his demeanour and on some occasions appeared to be laughing and joking with his students when viewing pornographic material.
‘Finally, the panel were concerned that Mr Kareem offered no apology or remorse for his actions, despite the likely impact his behaviour would have had on the vulnerable students in his care.’
‘The findings of misconduct are particularly serious as they include findings which involved allowing students to view pornographic material during class time and failing to report serious safeguarding concerns.’
Sarah Buxcey, the decision maker on behalf of the Secretary of State from the Department for Education, decided to ban Kareem from teaching ‘indefinitely’ due to his actions.
Ms Buxcey said: ‘Mr Bolanle Kareem is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth-form college, relevant youth accommodation orchildren’s home in England.
‘Furthermore, in view of the seriousness of the allegations found proved against him I have decided that Mr Kareem shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.’
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
Content source – www.soundhealthandlastingwealth.com
