ABSTRACT
A teacher’s legal responsibilities and obligations are legion. Legal matters touch every aspect of a teacher’s work, for example: equal opportunities, school visits, photocopying, use of computer software, use of equipment, hours worked, discipline and punishment, physical restraint, health and safety, responsibilities to students, school uniform, reporting and assessment, confiscation of property, supervision and duties of care. Some legal obligations are written specifically for teachers (see below); others are for all employees and employers, which include teachers, e.g. the Health and Safety Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Though student teachers will need to know all the legal requirements when they are qualified, there are many immediate concerns on teaching practice which this chapter discusses. In particular this chapter discusses issues which might be most in student teachers’ minds when considering teaching practice:
duty of care, supervision and the avoidance of negligence discipline and its related fields of detention, confiscation and uniform safety educational visits child protection data protection copyright.
