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A DONEGAL senator has
called for better vetting procedures to ensure no
registered sex offenders can work as substitute
teachers.
Senator Pearse Doherty quoted from figures showing
that 974 unqualified substitute teachers were
currently working in Irish schools.
"The Minister for Education does not know if any of
these are on the sex offenders' list. The fact that
a registered sex offender could be teaching children
is of grave concern," said Senator Doherty.
“Teachers are supposed to be role models for young
students and they are generally placed in high
esteem by the children they teach. If a sex offender
was to become a substitute teacher they would be in
a seriously dangerous position with the potential to
groom children for sexual abuse."
Senator Doherty was speaking after receiving a
response to a parliamentary question from Ms.
Hanafin in which she stated that the responsibility
for ensuring the suitability of individuals for sub'
teaching lay with schools' boards of management.
"This is completely unacceptable. I had asked the
Minister what practice has been put in place to
ensure that registered sex offenders are not used as
substitute teachers in schools and she has basically
attempted to move the responsibility from the State
to the predominantly voluntary school boards," added
Senator Doherty.
He called for extra Garda resources for the vetting
of substitute teachers and called for an end to
allowing unqualified teachers teach in schools.
"Part of this must involve making more places
available in teacher training colleges to get
through the backlog of teachers awaiting to go to
college and get qualified.” |
