This paper will examine whether teachers can be held liable in a court of law for the damage suffered by their students because of their incompetent or careless teaching. It will consider whether teachers are under a duty to educate their students. It will also discuss whether, in the discharge of this duty, teachers are under a professional standard of care. This leads to a consideration of the controversial question of the professional status of teaching. These issues will be examined in the light of the present law in Australia and the relatively recent American cases in which the courts have been called upon to recognize such a claim. The author identifies ‘educational negligence’ as an emerging new dimension to the movement for accountability for educational outcomes. He concludes that such actions will probably be brought in Australian courts in the future and warns teachers that they should eliminate those practices which may potentially render them liable.
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