NEWLY qualified teachers are being allowed to embark on their careers despite convictions for a number of different crimes and offences, including possession of drugs and housebreaking.
Official checks show raw recruits have been guilty of 56 recorded incidents, from assaults and breach of the peace to possession of Class A and B drugs. Motoring offences, including drink-driving, feature prominently in the list compiled by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).
It said 54 newly qualified teachers were allowed to carry on with their careers and two withdrew pending more investigations. The compulsory checks were carried out as students finished courses and were about to embark on their probationary year last summer.
One student teacher received an absolute discharge for possession of a Class A drug, which covers heroin or cocaine, in 2012, and another had been caught with a Class B substance. Others had committed vandalism and breaches of the peace.
One recruit had an assault conviction and another was guilty of assault and breach of the peace. One had been convicted of housebreaking in the 70s.
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