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A B.C. on-call teacher has been suspended for three days without pay for failing to notice several Grade four students were playing with a blade.

According to a B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation published this week, when two other students went to inform the teacher about the blade she raised her voice and told them to "sit down."

On Dec. 3, 2021, Paramjeet Kaur Chatrath signed a Consent Resolution Agreement agreeing to the misconduct that started with her being late for class.

The decision says Chatrath had taught at the Surrey school district several times and knew she was supposed to be there 15 minutes before the first bell.

However, she arrived after the second bell and a teaching assistant had to let the students into class.

Chatrath's first issue of the day was to speak to several students in a manner they felt was dismissive.

The on-call teacher then yelled at a student who had tried to tell her that two other students were not permitted to use electronic devices in class.

Not long after, a student took out the blade and invited other students to hold it and touch it.

The student told some classmates it could be used for "protection."

Two students then touched the blade and both got cut.

The consent order says Chatrath was present in the classroom while all this happened but was not aware of what was going on.

The decision says one student was too afraid to tell the teacher about the student with the blade because they thought Chatrath would yell at them.

Two students then tried to tell Chatrath about the blade but she raised her voice and told them to sit down.

"Some students were frightened that (a student) had a blade in the classroom," the decision reads.

Following the incident, the school district disciplined Chatrath by suspending her from work without pay for three days.

The Commissioner found that "Chatrath failed to ensure a safe and positive learning environment for her students" and "failed to use effective communication and classroom management strategies."

The decision says Chatrath had previously been suspended without pay for one day for being late for class twice in 2019. The year previous she'd been issued two letters of expectation for turning up late to her teaching assignments.

In the Consent Resolution Agreement, Chatrath agreed to a further two-day suspension and to complete the course, Creating a Positive Learning Environment.

Chatrath also agreed not to make any statement orally or in writing which contradicted or called into question the terms of the admissions made in the Consent Resolution Agreement.

READ MORE: B.C. teacher reprimanded for reaching into student's tool belt

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