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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-10-23 Daily Xml
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Teachers

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (14:52): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Treasurer, representing the Minister for Education.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: On the FIVEaa breakfast program last week, it was revealed that a teacher from a southern suburbs school had been charged with sex offences against a child under the age of 14. In a letter to parents advising them of the charges, the principal urged parents to keep the matter confidential and said they were not permitted by law to name the teacher.

In addition to this situation, the 2018 Teachers Registration Board of South Australia annual report reveals five teachers were disqualified from being registered as a teacher permanently for actions including child exploitation and unlawful sexual intercourse. One is said to have had a preoccupation with sexual partners wearing school uniforms. These five teachers were part of 13 local teachers overall who were struck off or faced other disciplinary action in the last year.

In recent years, there have also been several teachers from government and non-government schools charged and convicted of sexual offences involving students. My questions are:

1. Does the minister and the Treasurer believe that teachers, prospective or otherwise, should now undergo psychological and psychometric testing to determine their suitability for teaching children before being appointed to a teaching position?

2. What does the Treasurer think about this move in the context of his position of managing the state budget?

3. Apart from a police check, what other legal and behavioural testing do teachers, prospective teachers or otherwise, need to complete before teaching children?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:54): I thank the honourable member for his question, and I can answer the member's question relatively simply. What the Treasurer thinks about this issue is: he thinks he should take advice from the Minister for Education, then listen to what the Minister for Education says and share that with the member. Then I might even share my personal views after that.

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