I find this a complex and difficult subject.
What is emerging is that there are a variety of reasons for people being placed on the sex offenders register some of which are not the downloading of child pornography or offences aganst children. It is shameful that in the age of the internet there has not been more done to formalise what can and cannot prevent you from teaching in schools if you are a sex offender. As the Bichard enquiry attempted to get implemented there needs to be a rationalisation of the various lists surrounding this issue.
But I also have another problem.
I was sexually abused at school.
I enjoyed school immensely. It was a good Kingston school; a school that is sadly not doing so well today.
At the time it happened I was not aware that is was sex abuse. When you are 11/12 you do not think of such things. I also loved the subject the teacher taught and would not have done anyting to upset what was for me a happy school life. I heard some years later that he had moved on and been caught at another school,
Which brings me to my concern. Whilst there is rightly grave concern about the idea that those convicted of child offences could get to teach again in schools what is being done to prevent these offences occurring in the first place? Is there something that can be done about this?
What is emerging is that there are a variety of reasons for people being placed on the sex offenders register some of which are not the downloading of child pornography or offences aganst children. It is shameful that in the age of the internet there has not been more done to formalise what can and cannot prevent you from teaching in schools if you are a sex offender. As the Bichard enquiry attempted to get implemented there needs to be a rationalisation of the various lists surrounding this issue.
But I also have another problem.
I was sexually abused at school.
I enjoyed school immensely. It was a good Kingston school; a school that is sadly not doing so well today.
At the time it happened I was not aware that is was sex abuse. When you are 11/12 you do not think of such things. I also loved the subject the teacher taught and would not have done anyting to upset what was for me a happy school life. I heard some years later that he had moved on and been caught at another school,
Which brings me to my concern. Whilst there is rightly grave concern about the idea that those convicted of child offences could get to teach again in schools what is being done to prevent these offences occurring in the first place? Is there something that can be done about this?
2 comments:
I admire your courage in making this statement, Kevin.
I've also blogged on this issue from a different personal perspective, as the governor of a school where it was going on.
Surely, we need to be asking ourselves here, why on earth has this topic have even come about??
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