Education Council Strikes Stacey Reriti off Register

Education Council Strikes Stacey Reriti off Register

The Education Council has struck convicted teacher Stacey Reriti off the teachers’ register.

Late last month Reriti was sentenced to more than 10 years prison after being found guilty of seven sex abuse charges against a boy who was aged 11 – 13 at the time the offending took place.

Conduct manager Andrew Greig says the council moved promptly to strike Reriti off the register so it’s unlikely she will ever be able to teach again.

“Parents need assurance people like Reriti will never again be near children in an education setting. Reriti grossly abused the unique position of trust teachers are in. It is entirely inappropriate for her to be a teacher ever again.”

Mr Greig says the council can’t simply strike someone off the teachers’ register and must follow a process under law.

“But we fast-tracked this process to remove her as soon as we could. While she hasn’t been in a classroom for a long time, this sends a signal the council will take steps to expedite the process of removing such teachers from the register.”

There are over 100,000 registered teachers in New Zealand, and Mr Greig says such cases are very rare in that context.

“The teaching profession is one of the biggest in New Zealand. As such, and unfortunately, there are cases like Reriti’s, but it’s still important to remember they are terrible aberrations. By far the vast majority of teachers are professional, caring, committed and safe.”

The Education Council has also struck Raymond George Melrose off the teachers register following his conviction for indecency offences against an underage male.

The Education Council is the professional organisation for teachers and is responsible for making sure they are safe to teach, competent to teach, qualified and trained to a high standard.

For more information on the decisions go to educationcouncil.org.nz and click on tribunal hearings and decisions.

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