A CATHOLIC school is investigating alleged unprofessional conduct between a female teacher and a female student.
The Advertiser understands that the principal and deputy of the school have been conducting an internal inquiry into the matter with the assistance of Catholic Education SA.
It is believed staff at the school have been interviewed about the alleged unprofessional behaviour, with the investigation being conducted over the past few weeks.
The teacher has been given alternate duties while inquiries are conducted.
A spokesman for the school yesterday confirmed it was making inquiries into "alleged unprofessional behaviour between a teacher and a former senior student, now aged 18."
"The teacher has been provided with alternate duties while inquiries continue," the spokesman said.
"Catholic Education SA ... (is) assisting the school with the inquiries."
Australian Education Union South Australian branch president Correna Haythorpe said teachers were required to maintain professional, yet supportive, relationships with their students.
"The critical thing for us is that teachers, whether in public or private schools, have got a high duty of care and you do need to keep the boundary between professional relationships with students," she said.
"We need to keep our relationships strictly professional but also doing that in a supportive way that allows the student to engage in their learning."
Independent Education Union SA secretary Glen Seidel said there were procedures in place to investigate the claims.
"If there are serious allegations then that obviously warrants an investigation and the finding of the investigation will determine the outcome of the matter," he said.
Education Minister Jay Weatherill said because "the matter related to a non-government school it was a matter for the non-government system".
Teachers conducting "improper" relationships with students, falsifying documents and selling drugs were among breaches dealt with by the Teachers Registration Board in 2008.
In one inquiry a male teacher was reprimanded and had his registration suspended for "not maintaining proper boundaries in relation to the teacher/student relationship".
He was made to attend a course dealing with sexual harassment.
