Hello.

I am in my late 20s and earlier this summer I had a breakdown, drank and ended up punching a Police officer (no injury) and spitting blood.

I have been charged with:

- Assault against an Emergency Worker x1
- Public Order Offence Section 4A

My lawyer advises that I will receive a Suspended Sentence. Other than this, I have no previous convictions and I am degree educated.

For the past 3 years I have been teaching abroad in primary schools and secondary schools. I plan to continue this for another 3 or 4 years.

My question is this: Do I still stand a chance in the teaching profession? People have told me I do, but I am worried it is all over.

It may depend where you want to teach:

1. If abroad, it very much depends on the country and how strict they are with background checks - if you have to provide a UK police certificate for the employer or work permit purposes, the convictions will show up and that may be a barrier. Some countries only want a check against the last x years domicile, so if you have already been living in the country for long enough you may be able to demonstrate a clean record in the country itself.

2. If UK, the conviction will show on a DBS check. Teaching required an enhanced check so the convictions will show even when spent. However, you should not be on the Barred Lists (given the offences). It will then be up to the individual school/college and their policies whether to employ you or not and that will probably depend on a combination of three things (1) how you 'sell' yourself i.e. an aberration, how you've rehabilitated yourself, your remorse etc. etc. (2)  the attitude of the head teacher / HR / governing bodies and (3) passage of time.

It isn't going to be an easy road, but there are good people in the education system who will look at your potential and commitment. You need to find those people - if they champion you, there are no legal reasons why you cannot teach. It's purely a society thing and too easy for employers to hide behind what they feel are accepted norms or to be completely risk averse.

Thank you for your reply, I appreciate it!

The drinking came from repression of my sexuality (I am gay but have struggled with it for years) and immediately after the incident I put myself in alcohol therapy which I have now finished and therapy to sort out my sexuality which I am still undertaking (6 months on from the incident). I'm the person you'd least expect to have any sort of a fight, in fact I have never had one even in when in school.

Do you think these rehabiliative efforts will put me in good stead with the court and when it comes to future teaching jobs in the UK?

And do you think a suspended sentence is most likely?

Hi

Do not think of what the Court's will see from your actions as they will judge you on your past, current actions and thoughts about what you MAY do in the future given other offender's actions. They side with caution as you have shown that you are capable of an action.

This work you are now doing you say is proving to be a benefit to you which is the reason why you are and should be undertaking the courses. This is helping yourself, by developing your emotional controls, self belief i.e. rehabilitating your psychology,
Know you can do all these courses and they could instruct you to do their courses as part of your sentence. If they do accept that and use the knowledge from your work to support your learning on their courses. 

I know I will never pay for sex again but the authorities ask for proof. My reply is the only proof I can offer is them to look at me when I have pasted (hopefully way in the future lol) as that is the only time I can and they can see that I was 100% correct.  Anything else is "trust" and all of us here have to ask "Going on our past decision making alone, how can anyone fully trust us not to re-offend."

Remember our experiences from the past can affect / manipulate our decision making processes in the same manner as our reaction to a brand new event in our lives. You are going through the Justice system experience now not knowing the right decisions to make. Have faith in what you are doing to safeguard yourself and let others make their own opinions as you have no control over their decision making experiences.

Keep up the hard work as it will benefit you, as that is all that is important for you to have a future; no matter its design.

 

Society suggests I must let go of all my expectations but I disagree, as whilst I have a voice, I have hope.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.
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This forum supports these words, thank you Unlock and your contributors.

Hi

Do not think of what the Court's will see from your actions as they will judge you on your past, current actions and thoughts about what you MAY do in the future given other offender's actions. They side with caution as you have shown that you are capable of an action.

This work you are now doing you say is proving to be a benefit to you which is the reason why you are and should be undertaking the courses. This is helping yourself, by developing your emotional controls, self belief i.e. rehabilitating your psychology,
Know you can do all these courses and they could instruct you to do their courses as part of your sentence. If they do accept that and use the knowledge from your work to support your learning on their courses. 

I know I will never pay for sex again but the authorities ask for proof. My reply is the only proof I can offer is them to look at me when I have pasted (hopefully way in the future lol) as that is the only time I can and they can see that I was 100% correct.  Anything else is "trust" and all of us here have to ask "Going on our past decision making alone, how can anyone fully trust us not to re-offend."

Remember our experiences from the past can affect / manipulate our decision making processes in the same manner as our reaction to a brand new event in our lives. You are going through the Justice system experience now not knowing the right decisions to make. Have faith in what you are doing to safeguard yourself and let others make their own opinions as you have no control over their decision making experiences.

Keep up the hard work as it will benefit you, as that is all that is important for you to have a future; no matter its design.

 

Society suggests I must let go of all my expectations but I disagree, as whilst I have a voice, I have hope.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.
------------------------------

This forum supports these words, thank you Unlock and your contributors.