TimesLive reports that there are teachers, fortunately a minority, who are active in the profession despite having a criminal record they have not disclosed.

This is despite a policy since 2019 that all new teachers registering with the SA Council of Educators (Sace) must obtain and submit police clearance certificates. Schools are also legally required to do background checks on prospective educators and any other prospective employees, including sports coaches, administrators and grounds staff, to ensure they are not listed on the National Register of Sexual Offenders and the National Child Protection Register. As a result of these requirements, the number of educators undergoing criminal checks has grown by 254% since 2019. Despite the checks, the TPN Credit Bureau said its data reveals 3.6% of teachers have a criminal record and more than two-thirds of those have not declared they have a previous conviction. “It is a point of concern that around 26% of those with a conviction have more than one conviction,” the bureau noted. The top five criminal conviction types are theft (26.3%), traffic offences (20.29%), assault (15.13%), fraud (4.61%) and drug trafficking (3.95%). Convictions related to abuse and crimes of a sexual nature make up 2.63% of convictions. Part of the reason educators with criminal records are slipping through the cracks is that educators employed before the new policy was introduced in 2019 were not required to submit police clearance certificates. TPN Credit Bureau advised schools, crèches, aftercare facilities and institutions caring for mentally vulnerable individuals to conduct regular criminal checks, even on long-standing employees.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard at BusinessLive

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page