Education minister wants to prevent delinquent teachers from changing schools
![Classroom A teacher in eastern Ontario has lost her licence after pleading no contest to eight counts of professional misconduct including sexual abuse of a student. (Dids / Pxels)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2019/8/21/classroom-1-4558816-1689175590686.jpg)
Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville wants to prevent delinquent teachers from changing schools.
"It is not normal for a teacher to be able to commit acts of a sexual nature with impunity and move from one service centre to another or from one school to another without consequence," explained the minister a few minutes after tabling his bill on Wednesday.
If it is passed, the law will oblige school service centres and private educational establishments to carry out background checks on a teacher who comes from another school to ensure that he or she is not a danger to children.
The teacher's former employer will be obliged to provide the relevant information and documents.
The minister's initiative follows an inquiry report into sexual misconduct and inappropriate behaviour in schools, which showed that schools were ill-equipped to deal with these situations.
Currently, there are clauses that provide for "the removal of certain information from employees' disciplinary files after a certain period of time."
The government wants to put an end to this practice.
"The bill ensures that acts of misconduct or acts that may give rise to fear for the physical or psychological safety of pupils will remain in the employee's file. They cannot, under amnesty clauses, disappear after a few months or a few years," said Drainville.
The minister admitted that some amnesty clauses were included in the collective agreements.
"We hope that the unions will cooperate on this. We think that the unions have the same objective as we do of protecting children, but my understanding is that this legislation will take precedence over collective agreements," he said.
The bill will allow the minister to investigate a teacher without necessarily having received a formal complaint.
"With the bill, I will be able to trigger the committee of inquiry when I have credible information. (...) If the investigation is conclusive, the teacher's licence can be suspended or even revoked," said Drainville.
The bill will also oblige anyone to report a teacher to the ministry who has committed a serious offence in the course of his or her duties.
The minister also wants to require school service centres and public schools to adopt a code of ethics.
"The code should set out the practices and conduct expected of people working with under-age students, including bus drivers and all other providers of extracurricular services," reads the government press release.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Dec. 6, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6973608.1721691615!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
2nd woman found dead in English Bay: Vancouver police
For the second time in as many days, a woman's body was found near Vancouver's shoreline Monday.
2 Albertans accused of threatening to kill Trudeau, Freeland, Singh
Men from Edmonton and Calgary are accused of threatening to kill some of Canada's top government leaders.
Athletes show off stylish and expensive team clothing for the 2024 Olympic Games
Canadian athletes attempting to reach the podium at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will also be looking fashionable for the entire world to see.
Harris has support of enough Democratic delegates to become party's presidential nominee: AP survey
Vice-President Kamala Harris has secured the support of enough Democratic delegates to become her party's nominee against Republican Donald Trump, according to an Associated Press survey taken in the aftermath of President Joe Biden's decision to drop his bid for re-election.
Four suicides in New Zealand linked to Ontario's Kenneth Law
New Zealand's coroner has ruled that four of its citizens died after ordering products from an Ontario man who is facing murder charges for selling poisonous substances.
Toronto woman charged with voyeurism after taking 'intimate' photos during massage: police
A Toronto woman who allegedly took 'intimate' photos of an individual who was getting a massage has been charged with voyeurism, police say.
IN PICTURES Here's what Calgary's new event centre 'Scotia Place' will look like
The name of Calgary’s new event centre was unveiled on Monday. The arena will be called Scotia Place.
Harris steps into the limelight. And the coconut trees and memes have followed
If you're trying to get up to speed on Vice President Kamala Harris' swift emergence as Democrats' possible nominee this fall, you really need to know your memes.
These are the four leading vice-presidential picks for Kamala Harris' campaign
No one knows the importance of selecting the right running mate better than Vice President Kamala Harris.