Ghanaian woman banned from teaching in the UK after colleague reported her child trafficking past

A Ghanaian teacher has been permanently banned from the classroom after it emerged she had a history of child trafficking.

Ernestina Quainoo, 53, was struck off the teaching register after lying about her criminal past when she applied for a job in 2019.

Details of her conviction only came to light when a colleague recognized her from a news report about a shocking child trafficking case.

In 2008, Quainoo and her husband were convicted of smuggling a 14-year-old girl into Britain under false pretenses. They forced the girl to work as their domestic slave for 18 months, denying her an education and subjecting her to emotional and physical abuse.

Despite her past, Quainoo managed to secure a teaching position at a primary school in West Drayton, London. However, her deception was eventually uncovered, leading to her dismissal and a referral to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA).

The TRA panel found Quainoo's actions to be "completely incompatible with the profession of teaching" and imposed a prohibition order, barring her from ever returning to the classroom.

The case has raised questions about the effectiveness of safeguarding measures in schools and the potential for individuals with criminal histories to slip through the net.