A high school physics teacher used four-letter words when addressing pupils, it was claimed at a disciplinary panel yesterday.
Andrew Kerr is accused of using the inappropriate language at Ardnamurchan High School in Lochaber.
Mr Kerr appeared at a General Teaching Council fitness to teach hearing and partially accepted some of the charges against him but denied others.
Mr Kerr admitted he may have used one four-letter word during “robust banter” between himself and pupils.
He denied ever using the “f-word” in front of his students.
An allegation was also made that he had used current National Assessment Banks (NABs) as practice tests in violation of school policy and had also shown a pupil the marking scheme for a NAB.
He admitted using a current NAB as a practice due to “time pressures” but said he only gave a pupil the mark scheme after he had completed it.
Chris Miller-Craig, the head teacher gave evidence, and written statements were read out from three pupils from Mr Kerr’s Higher physics class from 2012 to 2013.
Pupil A, said in his statement that Mr Kerr “did not bother teaching us” and that after his dad had spoken to the school about this, he claimed that one of the four-letter words were used towards him by the teacher.
Pupil A also alleged that he did not do a NAB after completing unit two of his physics course, but Mr Kerr informed him he had done it but it had got lost.
The student said he was then given a NAB to do, but was also handed the marking sheet and told “don’t even tell your dad about it” and “make sure you get a few wrong”.
A second pupil backed up Pupil A’s claims, while a third, Pupil C, alleged that while he and Pupil A were discussing senior management at the school with Mr Kerr, he used the f-word when telling them to be quiet.
But Mr Kerr, who no longer works at the school, claimed that he has never used the word f-word in front of anyone and any other swearing was part of “banter” with older pupils.
He claimed when he was suspended from the school following the claims about his behaviour he was “escorted out of the school like I was some monstrous paedophile” and it was “utterly humiliating”.
Mr Kerr also said he believed the claims were part of a plan by Mr Miller-Craig to remove him from the school after the physics teacher had suffered a period of ill-health.
He admitted giving the marking scheme to Pupil A but not until he had finished it, and admitted he did tell Pupil A to “get a few wrong” but it was “in humour” and with a “stage wink”.
The hearing continues.