A science teacher has been indefinitely struck off after she was caught drinking half a bottle of wine during her lunch break before returning to teach a class. Rhian Williams, a former head of chemistry with 33 years of teaching experience, made an impromptu trip to Morrisons on May 9, 2023, to pick up flowers for a colleague, as revealed at an Education Workforce Council (EWC) fitness to practise hearing.
However, she also purchased a bottle of white wine and succumbed to the temptation to drink half of it in her car. From the supemarket in Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin in Carmarthenshire, Wales she then drove back to school, parked haphazardly, and proceeded to teach a small year eight class of pupils with additional learning needs.
Colleagues later became aware of Williams’ odd behaviour and alerted the assistant head teacher. When Rhian Carruthers, the assistant head, entered the classroom, she found Williams to be “overly happy” and received an uncharacteristic hug when she asked her to leave the room.
Williams confessed to what had transpired upon exiting, leading them to discover the half-drunk bottle of wine in her car.
Mrs Carruthers, who has served as an assistant head teacher at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin since 2017, testified in the hearing, acknowledging her 20-year-long acquaintance with Williams, whom she regards as a close friend. She hailed Williams as a “wonderful person” and a highly intelligent and informed educator, renowned for her excellent rapport with peers, reports Wales Online.
Until the incident occurred, Williams boasted an unblemished career in teaching. According to Mrs Carruthers, Williams found it challenging to adjust to blended learning post-lockdown, leading to a loss of confidence and her subsequent resignation from the position as head of chemistry.
This adjustment difficulty also precipitated two periods of work absence, one spanning six months. Williams made her return to work by the end of March 2023. Although absent from the hearing, Williams extended remorse through a submitted statement, apologising for the behaviour she deems atypical for herself. Her statement included: “I’m deeply ashamed about what happened on that day. I’m not proud of what I did but I take full responsibility for what I did.”
However, she indicated no plans to re-engage in the teaching profession.
Williams’ tenure at the school began in September 1999, ascending to the role of head of chemistry in 2013, only to step down seven years later in the wake of the pandemic’s onset. Since her departure, Williams has dedicated her time to volunteer work and assisting others, a testament to her recovered well-being, as noted by Mrs Carruthers: “She’s in a much better place now.”
The EWC committee determined that Williams’ actions, which involved her attending the school and commencing a class while under the influence of alcohol and/or having consumed alcohol, constituted unacceptable professional conduct. As a result, they issued Williams with a prohibition order of no less than two years, effectively banning her from teaching indefinitely.
