A teacher caught masturbating in his car was convicted of committing an indecent act in public, but failed to tell his school or the Teaching Council. 

Appearing before the Teachers' Disciplinary Tribunal on September 5, Auckland teacher Amir Ali said the situation was "very embarrassing".

At the time of the offence in February 2016, Ali was employed as a science and maths teacher and was living in his car after separating from his wife. 

According to the sentencing notes from the trial, a woman passing Ali's car noticed his foot sticking out of the door and alerted police after realising he was masturbating. 

Teachers are required to tell the Teaching Council about any convictions punishable by three months' imprisonment or more.

However, Ali failed to disclose the offence when he renewed his teaching registration in May 2017, despite having appeared in court in March 2017.

Applicants are also required to state whether they are under investigation for any matters that may call into question their character or fitness to teach.

Ali ticked the "no" box. He told the tribunal he had "overlooked that part".

The tribunal acknowledged he might have been reluctant to inform his principal or the council of the offence because of his embarrassment. 

It also accepted the question on the registration form was vague and there may have been "interpretation issues".

On his lawyer's advice, Ali talked to his principal three weeks after submitting his application, and on May 29 his lawyer contacted the Teaching Council to notify it that there had been an error in the registration form. 

On June 2, 2017, Ali voluntarily agreed to leave teaching while an investigation into his conduct took place. 

Clinical psychologist Barry Kirker prepared a report for sentencing after meeting with Ali.

He said the offending was likely caused by a combination of factors, including sexual frustration and a propensity to have poor boundaries. 

He noted that in Ali's work as a teacher there had been no documented concerns about inappropriate behaviour, and said there no factors that would make Ali specifically unfit to be a teacher.

Ali undertook counselling following the offence and agreed to further professional supervision as a possible condition on his registration. 

The tribunal reserved its decision, but chairman Nick Chisnall indicated that conditions being placed on Ali's registration would be more appropriate than the cancellation of his registration. 

He said had this case involved "any form of sexual predilection beyond what had been charged … this would be a very different case indeed".

Ali's registration would have been cancelled if that were the case, he said.