A DUNFERMLINE High School teacher was struck off by a disciplinary panel for a number of offences including calling a pupil a “f***y”.

Craig Cochrane was found unfit to teach by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) after swearing in front of students and purchasing gig tickets online whilst his class used heavy machinery unsupervised.

They decided he did use “inappropriate language when speaking to a pupil and in particular did say, ‘oh you f***y’”, in November 2013.

The technology and design teacher was also found to have posted comments on Facebook the following week stating: “Sod teaching, today is about securing tickets to Queens of the Stone Age on Saturday.”

Mr Cochrane used a school computer during a class to buy the tickets for the show and admitted that some of his pupils were using “machinery and tools” at the time. 

On November 28 that year, he grabbed a pupil by their clothing, pinching their neck. He denied the charge that he failed to stop S3 pupils branding a classmate “the paedo”.

He also denied making reference to the pupil by saying: “It’s not my fault you got into bother for going into a toilet with a wee boy.” The panel found the charges proven.

Mr Cochrane accepted that his fitness to teach was impaired but did not accept that he was unfit to teach.

His representative said his client accepted branding a pupil a “f***y” was “stupid” and the comment was “indicative of him overstepping boundaries” as he was overly familiar with the class.

Mr Cochrane accepted his actions in purchasing gig tickets while his class operated machinery was “stupid and irresponsible”, as was his manner in bringing a pupil into check by pinching his neck and his decision not to intervene when pupils called a classmate a “paedo” was “serious”.

The panel deemed he was unfit to teach as his actions fell way below what was expected of a teacher.

The decision, issued last month, said: “As the panel considered that the respondent had not and could not currently remedy the conduct, the panel was of the view that the risk of recurrence was high.

“The panel considered that the public interest required a finding of unfitness to teach. This was to protect the public and pupils from recurrence of conduct of the type described in the complaint.

“Accordingly, for the reasons set out above, the panel determined that the respondent’s conduct falls significantly short of the standards expected of a registered teacher and that he is therefore unfit to teach.”

Mr Cochrane was prohibited from applying for re-registration for two years.

Peter McNaughton, head of education & children’s services at Fife Council, said: “We don’t discuss the individual circumstances of any current or former employees.

“Pupil safety is very important to us. We will always take immediate action to protect young people, as a priority and as appropriate.”