Teachers’ duty to care for students

THE EDITOR: I was appalled to read in yesterday’s newspapers that TTUTA president Lynsley Doodhai claimed that teachers are not required to supervise students during breaks. To put it bluntly, Doodhai is legally incorrect.

When students are in school, teachers have a duty of care to ensure their safety. It may not be something they accept or want, but it is what it is — a duty imposed on them by law. It is the reason why teachers in the UK, for example, can be prosecuted/sued for negligence in matters arising out of not meeting the duty imposed on them.

The interesting question is: why is a duty of care imposed on teachers? It is simple; they are the adults and are deemed to have better judgment and so the duty is imposed on them in lieu of parental responsibility.

So for the TTUTA president not to know the responsibilities of the people he represents is akin to the Police Commissioner not knowing how to fight crime.

MOHAN RAMCHARAN, Birmingham, England