Pubdate: Fri, 04 Jan 2008 Source: Daily Telegraph (Australia) Copyright: 2008 News Limited Contact: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/113 Author: Bruce McDougall and Kelvin Bissett TEACHERS' CRIMINAL PAST EXPOSED MORE than 120 new teachers with criminal records were employed in public schools last year, with the education department then destroying all evidence of their dark pasts. The Daily Telegraph can reveal 268 applicants for classroom teaching jobs had criminal pasts revealed by screening for "serious" offences - - and almost half of them were employed. Two teachers failed the Working with Children Background Check, meaning they could be a risk to children, but they were employed after a risk assessment. A snapshot of 7084 teacher applicants during six months from November 2006 to May last year found 263 had a "general criminal history" and almost half of those - 128 - were given a job. The data obtained under Freedom of Information shows only 36 applicants with a criminal record were ruled ineligible for employment in NSW schools. But the department admits it cannot tell this newspaper, or parents, any detail of offences or jail time served by any of the teachers as it destroys all records within 180 days to protect the teachers' privacy. All applicants for teaching jobs must agree to a national criminal record check for charges and convictions, including spent convictions, for any offences carrying a penalty of 12 months in jail or longer. New laws ban sex offenders from working with children but crimes of dishonesty and many other offences may not automatically disqualify teaching applicants. The Daily Telegraph sought details of the criminal histories of all of the new teaching applicants, including major convictions, the sentence they received and the reason they were not deemed a risk to children. Deputy Director-General Peter Riordan said under the department's contract with CrimTrac all criminal history documents were destroyed after 180 days because they were "confidential". "Disclosing records . . . would breach the agreement and prejudice the future supply of information from CrimTrac." Mr Riordan said. While claiming the department did not hold files, Mr Riordan was still able to suggest "a large percentage of applicants" had criminal records related to driving offences. Of the 128 hired, 52 were employed in government primary schools and 76 in secondary schools. Following the arrest of a high school teacher accused of selling marijuana to a student in class, The Daily Telegraph also sought details of teachers with drug convictions, the type and quantity of drugs, charges and the penalty imposed. The department did not "collect data on the number of teachers who have drug convictions" because it may breach privacy and other laws governing the protection of children. While the drug histories of classroom teachers are kept secret, new Director-General Michael Coutts-Trotter revealed last year he had been screened for his suitability to work with children due to a conviction for a serious drugs offence. In 2006 a 29-year-old high school maths teacher was charged with supplying marijuana to a Year 9 student in class - but then education minister Carmel Tebbutt was not told. The teacher was given a suspended jail sentence and good behaviour bond and struck off the teachers' registry. Education chiefs have maintained in the past that in every case in which an individual with a criminal record is approved for employment, the risk to children has been considered low. But investigations by The Daily Telegraph show sex offenders have been busy overturning bans on working with youngsters to pursue jobs as teachers, school bus drivers, sports coaches and youth workers. Ombudsman Bruce Barbour has expressed strong concern that sexual predators facing criminal charges have been allowed to stay in jobs that give them close contact with children. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart