Report identifies at least 10 missed opportunities to act against convicted teacher
An independent regulatory review has found that New Zealand’s Teaching Council repeatedly failed to act against a teacher with previous indecency convictions, allowing him to remain registered before he committed further offences against children.
The review, conducted by Katherine Anderson KC, identified at least 10 opportunities over more than a decade for the council to intervene against Timothy Fisher, including in 2015 when it learned of his earlier convictions for indecency.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said the council failed to exercise its regulatory powers despite having information that warranted intervention.
“Despite having the powers available to intervene, the Council repeatedly failed to take the action necessary to prevent this man from continuing to work as a teacher,” Stanford said in a statement.
Fisher is now in prison after being convicted of indecently assaulting nine girls, attempting to make four intimate visual recordings, possessing thousands of objectionable images, and making hundreds of objectionable images.
The Anderson review found that the council failed to investigate concerns, ask appropriate questions, seek legal advice or act promptly. These failures resulted in years of delay while Fisher remained a registered teacher.
The findings follow a 2025 independent review by Debbie Francis, which identified broader problems with the council’s regulatory culture and approach to child protection.
That review found the council lacked appropriate regulatory expertise and did not regard itself as a regulator. Instead, it had shifted its focus to “building the mana of teachers” and “being liked by the profession”.
The Teaching Council is responsible for teacher registration, practising certificates, professional conduct, and standards. It operated independently of the government until 2026. Following the Francis review, the government introduced reforms to strengthen regulatory oversight, accountability, and child safety.
In May 2026, an amendment paper to the Education Reform Bill proposed changes to the council’s statutory purpose, monitoring arrangements and governance structure. The proposed measures included a ministerially appointed board of seven to nine members, stronger reporting requirements, government policy directions, and term limits for the chief executive. The council would retain independence over individual regulatory decisions.
In October 2026, cabinet approved changes to Clean Slate legislation that allow police to provide additional information about previous convictions when the council conducts criminal background checks.
Stanford also issued a letter requiring the council to implement recommendations from both reviews and report regularly on its progress. She said newly appointed board members had submitted an action plan addressing the identified failures and that she would hold them accountable for delivering it.
