Rafiqul Islam, a 34-year-old maths teacher at Friern Barnet School in North London, has been banned from teaching after confessing his love to a 16-year-old pupil on Instagram. The Teaching Regulation Authority (TRA) investigated the matter and issued a prohibition order with no review date, citing sexually motivated behavior.
Details of the Messages
Islam sent multiple messages to the pupil, including one that read: "I spent most of my Sunday in bed just thinking about the few days we have left. ... I developed a crush on you. By the end of the school year, I have fallen in love with you. The world became meaningless to me without you, and I couldn’t stop thinking about you. It wasn’t the normal type of love, but the Edward Cullen type of love." He also wrote: "Despite how much I love my career, I would sacrifice it all if you want to be together. I love you (Pupil A) and I really hope we can be together, as this would make me the happiest man alive." Earlier, he had referred to her as "cute."
Pupil's Reaction and School Investigation
The day after receiving the message, the pupil reported Islam to the school, stating she felt "physically sick, screamed and told her mother." Islam resigned the following day. During the school's investigation, an undated letter submitted to a panel witness claimed the love was "natural" and that he "couldn't hide my feelings as things were natural, my eyes always focused on her and lit up." Another witness reported that Islam called the pupil "cute," which he dismissed as an "innocent comment" about her personality.
TRA Panel Findings
The TRA panel considered the allegations of social media messages, calling the pupil cute, and declaring love as sexually motivated, despite Islam's objections. The panel noted: "Mr Islam had demonstrated in his written documents and oral evidence a highly concerning lack of insight generally into the seriousness and wholly unacceptable nature of his actions." As a result, Islam is banned from teaching at schools, sixth form colleges, relevant youth accommodation, or children's homes in England.
