School acts after teacher 'bullied'

The school decided to take firm action

One of Scotland's top private schools has expelled one pupil and suspended six others after an Asian teacher was intimidated.

The seven boys, aged 16 and 17, from Stewart's Melville College in Edinburgh, were disciplined following a bullying incident in a computing class taken by a female teacher.

Remarks made by one boy during the incident last week could be described as "having racial overtones but, on the other hand it might not", said principal David Gray.

It was an issue where we had to be clear about who is in authority

David Gray, principal

The expelled pupil had been on a final warning after being suspended twice previously.

The other six were sent home for a week and ordered to write letters of apology to the teacher. They will return on Monday.

Mr Gray said: "It was intimidating behaviour by a group of boys and it is up to me to uphold discipline and the authority of staff.

"There was jeering, hooting and general defiance. The complaint that the teacher made was of bullying and intimidating behaviour in general.

"It was an issue where we had to be clear about who is in authority."

College history

The teacher, who has not been named and is of Indian origin, has been at the school for about 10 years.

Stewart's Melville College has 785 pupils. It was formed when Daniel Stewart's College and Melville College combined in 1972.

Six years later the junior school merged with girls' school the Mary Erskine School, Scotland's oldest girls' school.

Tuition fees for boarding pupils at Stewart's Melville, whose motto is Never Unprepared, cost up to £11,500.