Owen had a power over some of his pupils

The hard-hitting report published on Thursday described how an influential teacher was free to serially sexually abuse pupils over a period of two decades.

It also said an education official's failures in investigating him could amount to a criminal act.

Teacher John Owen - who killed himself before his trial - was well-known throughout the Welsh language community.

He taught at Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen for 17 years before resigning in 1991 and going on to create the children's series Pam fi Duw? (Why me God?).

The report, by Children's Commissioner Peter Clarke, included 31 recommendations on how to protect children in the future.

But the organisation which represents school governors in Wales is concerned about one of them - handing over responsibility for disciplining teachers to local education authorities (LEA).

Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen had an unrivalled reputation for drama

Colin Thomas, Director of Governors Wales, said that, in the case of the allegations against John Owen in 1991, it was failures of the LEA that partly led to the matter not being properly investigated.

"The governing body as a consequence found they were unable to perform their lawful functions," he said.

The Clywch inquiry was ordered by Mr Clarke after Owen killed himself in October 2001.

It was the day before he was due to stand trial on five counts of indecent assault against former pupils.

While a teacher at Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen in Pontypridd - one of Wales' first Welsh medium comprehensive schools - Owen exploited his charges' fear and awe of him.

Between the 1980s and 1991, he tricked some of them into acting out sexually-explicit material in lessons and even in examinations for GCSE and A-levels.

Peter Clarke says children will be safer under his recommendations

And, the report said, many warning bells went unheeded.

A catering assistant saw him with a half-naked boy on his lap. Owen managed to explain it away.

In 1986 an external examiner for the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) - the Welsh examinations board - stopped a performance in which a naked pupil simulated a sex act.

But she was told to go back and carry on by her managers at the examination board, for fear that the pupil's results might suffer if she did not.

She wrote a report but received no feedback from the WJEC.

The examination board was severely criticised in the report - that such concerns were not acted upon.

But WJEC Chief Executive Gareth Pearce disputes the commissioner's findings and insists procedures have been improved.

A group of senior teachers also wrote to the education authority, saying Owen was unfit to teach because of his obsession with sex.

David Matthews, a district education officer for the former Mid Glamorgan education authority, was sent in to carry out an investigation.

What he heard, Mr Clarke said, should have warranted an immediate referral to police and social services.

Many of Owen's victims broke down as they gave evidence

But the commissioner said she has been unable to identify any good reason why he did not do so, and his failure could amount to a criminal act.

Mr Matthews' boss at the time - Eddie Roberts - subsequently allowed Owen to resign from his teaching post.

Mr Matthews - now director of education for Bridgend - is currently on sick leave - but has issued a statement saying he rejects the criticism as unjustified.

He said he has spent his career trying to promote the welfare of children and "his (Peter Clarke's) findings in this instance are unjustified and that he has ignored his statement of procedures in making them.

"The report is riddled with inconsistencies and judgments based on opinions and not facts."

His then boss, Eddie Roberts, allowed Owen to resign.

Though some information was eventually passed to the police, officers did not have enough to warrant a prosecution.

Sex offences

The commissioner says the authority's failures amount to a cover-up.

All the while, Owen continued to work freely with children.

It was in 2001 - after he had written Pam fi Duw? about life in a south Wales school which would become a popular children's series - that four of his former pupils and victims went to the police.

Now grown up, they gave accounts of the abuse by Owen who was subsequently charged with five serious sex offences.

He appeared in court but then went on the run from police before booking a caravan in Porthcawl's Trecco Bay resort and killing himself with a fatal mix of morphine and whiskey.

Reacting to the "shocking" evidence in the report, Welsh Education Minister Jane Davidson said that all 31 recommendations deserved serious consideration.

"That will take place over the coming weeks," she said.

"I have indicated our acceptance of the commissioner's broad themes. Our full government response after the recess will set out how we will be responding to each recommendation."