A secondary school teacher from Belfast has been suspended from the teaching register for two months after admitting she submitted falsified professional standing letters to the Teaching Council.

The 29-year-old, whose identity was not disclosed, acknowledged altering two letters issued by the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI) in 2024. One letter was dated 11 June and the second 6 September.

A fitness-to-teach committee heard that she added a phrase to the September letter indicating she had completed an early professional development qualification. The teacher had moved to the Republic of Ireland to be with her partner and secured a post at a school, starting in October 2024.

During registration she was told a condition requiring induction training could affect her pay. She said a colleague advised her to have it removed, which led to the alteration.

The Teaching Council checked the documents with the GTCNI, which confirmed they were not the letters it had issued. The GTCNI then informed the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and officers called to the teacher's family home in Belfast.

The teacher later self-reported the matter to the Teaching Council. She gave evidence that the inquiry process had been difficult, describing shame and a loss of confidence.

Committee chairwoman Jean Beswick-Duignan said the alterations were not technical in nature and that the conduct was dishonest, deliberate and premeditated. She noted more than one instance of document alteration as an aggravating factor.

Mitigating factors included a glowing reference from the principal of the teacher's current school, her apology and acceptance of full responsibility. The short suspension was intended to mark the seriousness of falsifying important documents and to send a message to the public and other teachers.

The teacher had previously taught for five years in Northern Ireland. The committee found her guilty of professional misconduct and breaches of the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers.