Teachers accused of incompetence face a “disciplinary lottery”, according to The Times Educational Supplement (TES).
In Brighton and Hove, the newspaper reports, just one teacher has been sacked for incompetence in the past five years – a 31-year-old primary school teacher.
Yet in neighbouring West Sussex six teachers were dismissed for the same reason.
And in Brighton and Hove only three other teachers faced competency hearings while the figure for West Sussex was 385.
The figures were in published in a report compiled by the TES after a series of requests made under the Freedom of Information Act.
The TES also reported that in the past year one secondary school teacher in Brighton and Hove was given a formal warning after a competency hearing.
The TES said: “Chris Woodhead, former Ofsted chief inspector, created a storm 15 years ago when he said that there were 15,000 incompetent teachers, out of a workforce of around 500,000.
“Commenting on the TES findings, Professor Woodhead said: ‘This is a tiny percentage of the total workforce. It confirms, moreover, what we all know: incompetence pays.
“‘Incompetent teachers damage children’s learning and the reputation of the teaching profession.’
“Teachers suspected of serious incompetence who leave their jobs are supposed to be reported to the General Teaching Council (GTC) for England, but figures show that only a small proportion of cases are passed on.”
The paper reported Keith Bartley, GTC chief executive, as saying: “The TES research confirms that some local authorities appear to be failing in their statutory duty to refer cases of serious professional incompetence.”
There was no suggestion that Brighton and Hove City Council was under-reporting the problem of incompetence or that West Sussex County Council was overzealous.
West Sussex has many more schools and employs many more teachers than Brighton and Hove.
One West Sussex teacher told Brighton and Hove News: “When you read the TES investigation’s findings, it does make you wonder whether things might be a little bit less rigorous in places like Brighton and Hove.
“Mind you, most of the teachers I know are professional and conscientious.
“Some teachers are brilliant at preparing students for exams and others bring a broader educational mix to their classrooms.
“If I were a parent, I would like to think my child was being given a rounded education not necessarily just being drilled for exams, important though they are.”
