Damning report shows Teaching Council failed to protect children
An independent review found the Teaching Council repeatedly failed to protect children by allowing a registered teacher with a history of offending to remain in the classroom, leading to serious abuse.
A newly released independent review by Katherine Anderson KC has exposed multiple failures by the Teaching Council to intervene against a teacher with a documented history of indecent offences. The review highlights at least ten missed opportunities over more than a decade to remove Timothy Fisher from teaching, despite clear warnings about his past convictions. Fisher was later convicted of indecently assaulting nine girls and possessing thousands of objectionable images, among other crimes.
The Teaching Council, a statutory body responsible for teacher registration and conduct regulation, operated independently until 2026 and was found to prioritize building teacher morale over child protection. A previous 2025 review by Debbie Francis had already revealed a culture within the Council that lacked regulatory expertise and failed to act decisively against misconduct.
Following the Francis review, the Government took immediate steps to reform oversight, including transferring responsibility for professional standards to the Ministry of Education and ensuring ministerial appointments to the Council’s governing body. New requirements were introduced to strengthen monitoring, reporting, and alignment with government policy directions while maintaining the Council’s operational independence.
Minister of Education Erica Stanford has issued a formal letter of expectations requiring the Teaching Council to implement all recommendations from both reviews and report regularly on progress. The Government has also approved changes to Clean Slate legislation to enhance criminal background checks by allowing police to provide additional conviction information to the Council.