Cases of indecent behavior involving teachers and students continue to occur. A system must be put in place to detect the problem at an early stage and remove unfit teachers.
The number of teachers at public elementary, junior high and high schools and other institutions who have been disciplined for indecent behavior and sexual harassment reached 1,030 in the five-year period to fiscal 2019. A Yomiuri Shimbun investigation has revealed that nearly half of these cases involved students or graduates that had been taught by the teachers.
Teachers are in a position to educate and guide their students. Inappropriate behavior and abuse of hierarchical relationships cannot be tolerated. Betrayal of trust leaves lifelong scars on the minds of children.
Some children are unable to tell others about the harm they have experienced out of shame or fear, while others suffer when they grow up. A lot of the suffering that has been endured has not yet come to the surface.
First of all, it is essential to grasp the actual situation. Some boards of education regularly conduct sexual harassment surveys with students at elementary, junior high and high schools. It is important to create an environment in which it is easier for victims to speak out, through such measures as establishing consultation services.
In response to a request of the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry, the boards of education of prefectures and ordinance-designated large cities have begun taking action against teachers who have committed indecent acts by imposing disciplinary dismissals, in principle. Teachers who have been dismissed lose their teaching license. However, under the current law, the license can be obtained again after three years.
The rule likely takes into consideration such factors as the freedom to choose an occupation and the possibility of rehabilitation. However, in the past, there have been several cases in which teachers whose sex crimes had been exposed were later employed as teachers in other areas and committed similar incidents again. Such cases must be prevented.
The ministry must take drastic measures, including legal revisions to make once again obtaining a teacher's license more rigorous.
A group comprising the parents of victims and others has submitted a petition to the ministry, demanding that teachers who have been disciplined and dismissed for indecent behavior not have their teaching licenses reissued. A sentiment that seems to be shared among most parents is that such teachers should not be allowed to teach again.
The ministry plans to next year extend the period during which boards of education can search the disciplinary records of teachers from the current three years to 40 years. However, such searches do not reveal the reasons for disciplinary action. To prevent a recurrence, information on teachers who have been disciplined for indecent behavior should be shared among the various boards of education.
Social media, through which teachers can communicate secretly with children, also contributes to sufferings. Many boards of education ban teachers from communicating privately with students via social media. Renewed and thorough guidance for teachers is urged.
The behavior of most teachers toward the children under their care is earnest. Trust in the whole system must not be shaken because of a few problematic teachers.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Oct. 5, 2020.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
.png?w=600)
