Opinion Poll ResultIs there ever any circumstances under which a teacher on the sex offenders register should be allowed to work with children?Select Education has released results of a poll conducted on its website on the subject of sex offenders which shows an overwhelming response against the idea of sex offenders being allowed to teach. The poll, conducted during the month of January and February asked the question 'Is there any circumstances under which a teacher on the sex offenders register should be allowed to work with children?' and gave respondents the opportunity to comment further. Although the survey did not differentiate between people who had committed offences on children or others, the response was overwhelming: 88 per cent of people answered NO, with 8.8 percent answering YES, and the remaining 1.1 were undecided. Among the answers, some people questioned how useful the register was 'if it still allowed offenders to have contact with vulnerable people.' In general, respondents felt that no risk should be taken in situations involving children with comments such as: 'People are allowed a second chance, but not regarding such circumstances.' Another person commented: 'Where children are concerned, I don't think we can afford to take any risks, no matter how small.' Among the participants who answered YES to the question, some felt that people who have paid for their offences should be given a second chance to prove themselves. One person in particular said: 'I have empathy for such people. They should not be rejected, but redeployed to work with child-related activities and society should support them.' The poll also raised the question of whether a person should be discriminated against working with children if their initial offence was not directed at children, with one respondent saying: 'if the crime wasn't against children, then it shouldn't be an issue.' Select Education has a very strong policy concerning teachers checking procedures. All teachers wishing to register for work through the agency are submitted to rigorous checks against List 99 and records held by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). Commenting on their policy, John Dunn, Marketing Director at Select Education, said: 'Our position is unequivocal. If a teacher is found to be on List 99 or if the CRB check uncovers any information that deems that teacher to be unsuitable to work with children, we do not register that teacher to teach. We always put the interests and safety of children first.' He adds: 'The government itself has acknowledged our adherence to this procedure and has awarded us the DfES Quality Mark as a consequence.'
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