UK maths teachers banned after inappropriate messages to teenage pupils

Rafiqul Islam, a 34‑year‑old maths teacher at Friern Barnet School in North London, was prohibited from teaching after a Teaching Regulation Authority investigation found he repeatedly told a 16‑year‑old pupil that he loved her, using language likening his feelings to the fictional character Edward Cullen. The sanction, issued without a review date, followed the pupil’s report and Islam’s resignation.

Jamil Wali, a maths teacher at Kings Leadership Academy in Liverpool, faced a separate sanction after the Teaching Regulation Agency determined he had sent more than 200 personal emails to a teenage girl between January and March 2024. While the panel did not find a sexual motive, it concluded his communications breached professional boundaries and created an inappropriate dependency on the student. A hearing will decide his final penalty.

Both cases highlight ongoing safeguarding concerns within UK schools and the regulatory bodies’ efforts to enforce professional conduct standards for teachers.