Chris Keates, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, said teachers should not face jail for having sex with pupils who are over the age of consent. If a teacher has a relationship with a pupil at the school at which they teach – it could be an 18-year-old pupil in the sixth form – then the teacher can be prosecuted and end up on the sex offenders’ register.’ Teachers who have sex with sixth form pupils are only guilty of an ‘error of professional judgment’ and it is unfair to put them on the sex offenders’ register, she insists. If there is no penalty what is there to stop teachers taking advantage of children and young people will this also send out a message that this is ok for teachers to have a relationship with pupils.’ We as parents put teachers in a privileged position of trust, trust to care for our children at school and on school trips not to have affairs with them whatever age. If teachers do not like being prosecuted then don’t do it. If they have feelings for older pupils wait until they leave school. We as parents fought long and hard to get the legislation in place and cannot accept it should be changed to change would be to devalue it. It is wrong for a teacher to have a relationship with a student in their school, even one over the age of consent. ‘I would have been less than impressed if a male teacher had started a relationship with my daughter while she was at school. Many parents I have spoken to have said they would have had a more lenient view before they were parents but looking at their children cannot conceive how they would feel if it happened in their family. Perhaps we should be considering bringing the age of consent in line with school leaving age.