Thai schools told to screen foreign English teachers for paedophilia

[webfact]

Education institutions told to carefully screen English teachers with child sex abuse records


BANGKOK: -- The Education Ministry has warned education institutions across the country to be aware of unqualified English teachers having child sex abuse records in their home countries but coming to work in the country.

The warning was revealed by the assistant to the Minister of Education Dr Thirakiat Charoensethasilpa after being informed by the British embassy in Bangkok.

Dr Thirakiat said the UK embassy recently notified that some British citizens who have child sexual abuse records have disguised themselves as English teachers and have arrived in Thailand to work as teachers.

With such warning, he then urged all education institutions to carefully screen the qualification and records of those British citizens applying for English teaching job in the country.

He said all education institutes can either check records of all English applicants from the UK police’s website www.acro.police.uk/icpc, or ask the applicants for the job to produce certificate for check.

He said this would be a measure to screen the applicants and ensure that they have no criminal records, and prevent Thai students from sexual abuses by English teachers.

According to the UK embassy, people committed child sexual abuse crimes in the UK often look for jobs overseas such as volunteers. Many of them have been found to choose teaching or any profession that is relevant to child, he said.

Therefore he urged that all education institutions adopted careful steps in recruiting foreigners to work as English teachers.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/education-institutions-told-to-carefully-screen-english-teachers-with-child-sex-abuse-records


-- Thai PBS 2015-07-07

Edited July 10, 2015 by Support

[DM07]

Foreign English- teachers...because Thais could never do such a thing!

[Happy Grumpy]

Good.

Though I fear the Thai will be too lazy to do it.

[Crossy]

One would have thought that the required home country police check would have turned this up.

Does the guy in the photo know how his image has now been tagged??

[NextStationBangkok]

I thought the checking system is already in place ?

[Happy Grumpy]

Foreign English- teachers...because Thais could never do such a thing!

I would hazard a guess that Thais with convictions for child sex crimes would not be eligible for their Teaching License.

But you keep on hatin' if it makes you feel good.

[KhaoNiaw]

Foreign English- teachers...because Thais could never do such a thing!

Where did they say that? Acting on a warning from the British embassy would be a good enough reason for the story to focus on foreigners wouldn't it?

You don't think they should be doing this as a matter of course? Bizarre..

[Mudlover]

Are qualified English teachers exempt?

[bangkokfrog]

I understand that at present police checks are only required for teachers at International Schools... obviously to protect children of the connected few. It makes sense to require it for all schools, although I agree with an earlier poster that many smaller ones are unlikely to follow it through. I imagine there will soon be a ripe trade in police clearance certificates at Kao San Road. Also, what about all those private schools that illegally hire foreign teachers and do not provide work permits? A lot more to be done here if this is not just the usual hot air press release to make someone look good.

[Bardeh]

Foreign English- teachers...because Thais could never do such a thing!

What does this have to do with the story at hand? Can you show me in the article where it declares there are no paedophiles in Thailand?

To be honest, this is something that should be mandatory in every position where adults will be working with children. I know that it's a requirement in Korea and Japan for their foreign teachers.

[kkup]

No one should be exempt. Should of been done along time ago.

[Happy Grumpy]

^ Should have been done along time ago.

Yes, it should have.

Edited July 7, 2015 by Happy Grumpy

[rebelplatoon]

Two questions arise:

A. Why only screen foreign teachers?

B. Why not have a data base for entering paedophiles?

[Happy Grumpy]

A. Why only screen foreign teachers?

Where does it state that Thai teachers are not screened?

Get a Teaching License as a Thai involves a bladdy lot. If you can show that they can get a Teacher's License with convictions for child-sex crimes, please do.

Thanks.

[Deli]

Maybe they also should check if the local English teachers can teach English...

[Bluespunk]

Bet the guy in that picture is well happy about being shown as the photo lead for this story

[Nigeone]

Foreign English- teachers...because Thais could never do such a thing!

What does this have to do with the story at hand? Can you show me in the article where it declares there are no paedophiles in Thailand?

To be honest, this is something that should be mandatory in every position where adults will be working with children. I know that it's a requirement in Korea and Japan for their foreign teachers.

It's also a requirement in the UK and has been for a number of years..If you have anything to do with children be it refereeing ,coaching teaching ,sports clubs,Cubs ,brownies scouts the full hit you have to have police clearance...big problem to if you take pictures of school sports days and the like and have any sort of images of other people's kids on your phone or camera without permission

[chrisinth]

That appears to be an extremely pro-active statement from the British embassy.

Probably one of the best things to come from there in quite a while........................

[laurenrebecca]

In defense, some government schools do screen, as well as some of the recruitment companies. My school will not allow you to work without a police check done in the last year from your home country, and if coming from another school in Thailand, a Thai police check as well.

The placement company we also use when we cannot find enough teachers also requires the police checks.

I understand not all schools do this, but it is certainly something that should be done! Especially here, where it is common to be alone with a student, and also partake in overnight trips with the school....I know if I ever have kids, they will be at a school that checks its teachers!

[Minnehaha]

I remember years ago, when I was a lad teaching at very well-known private high school (95% of graduates went to university). I was the only native speaker at times, and other times there were 2 or 3 of us. We would get walk ins - foreigners looking for teaching jobs and often the staff would ask me to interview the person. One guy in particular was ogling the M4 girls and asking me about how nice the kids are and can he get private tutoring jobs, etc. to make more money etc. etc. as we walked the campus. This guy even asked me if I had ever dated any of the students. Needless to say I told the administration and they did not hire the guy. I don't know what happened to him.

That same year, the soccer coach / phys ed teacher (Thai national obviously) got a M5 girl pregnant. They both left the school.

[Pi Suthep]

should they screen thai teachers for their exchange deals sexual services against school marks ?

should they imprison thai teachers for still beating students against the law ?

no, it would be loss of "face"...

(always wondering how thais can lose what they aint got...)

[a99az]

"The Education Ministry has warned education institutions across the country to be aware of unqualified English teachers having child sex abuse records in their home countries but coming to work in the country."

Guess you are OK if you are a qualified pedo or a Thai teacher then

[NickJ]

Some examples to be made....castrations then send them back to there countries to tell there pals.

[brain150]

Child abuse is pretty popular with British Politicians, aristocrates and the inner circle of the royal family in the UK.

Just that these people never get on the police record or can cover it up ....

All documented and publicly available information.

[not a theory of any kind what so ever]

[zoroastra999]

Forced mass education is, in itself, a perversion. It constitutes the most widespread and pernicious form of child abuse.

In saying this, I do not intend to condone sexual abuse in any way, shape or form.

[cumgranosalum]

Absolutely - there are some major private schools in Thailand who are taking on students under aged 16 down to 11 against the policy stated by the schools and the teachers have no criminal checks whatsoever.

There was a case a while back of one school where senior member of management was running a pedophile ring........

[krobert6]

The should have to get the same type of 'working with children' cards Australians do. Anyone who works or comes into close contact with minors has to have one there.

Edited July 7, 2015 by krobert6

[Varangkul]

Some examples to be made....castrations then send them back to there countries to tell there pals.

There, there're their !

[jobsworth]

i am told that such checks have made it very difficult to find people to work with children anywhere in europe.

[Lupatria]

Earlier news today:

A 46 year old Thai man, accused of sexually assaulting over 40 children under the age of 15, who is currently working as a coach for a youth soccer team and has been wanted on warrant since 2012, was arrested by Pattaya Tourist Police on Monday afternoon.

Now we need to catch a couple of farrang so we don’t lose face…

The Education Ministry has warned education institutions across the country to be aware of unqualified English teachers having child sex abuse records in their home countries but coming to work in the country.

It simply does not matter if the guys are Thai or farrang. But this is not about protecting children as proven in the past by lack of advanced screening by the authorities.

It’s just to show the world this is a domain of foreign teachers. It’s the same bull as all customers of Thai prostitutes are foreigner. Or, as one minister once said: corruption did not exist in Thai culture before the Chinese migrants arrived.

Edited July 7, 2015 by Lupatria