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.