Sex crimes alleged

ALMOST 30 Queensland teachers have been de-registered or suspended so far this year for offences that include alleged sex crimes involving children.

Queensland College of Teachers has confirmed that 26 teachers had been stood down or had their registrations cancelled in 2022 to date, a figure that represents almost three educators per month.

The total number of teachers who have had their teaching or permission to teach (PTT) registrations revoked sits at five as of September 20, the total number of de-registrations in both 2021 and 2020. Just two teachers were deregistered in 2019.

QCT said in a statement that it cancelled registrations if the teacher was convicted of a serious offence or “becomes a relevant excluded person”.

Of the 20 teacher suspensions so far in 2022, QCT data reveals that 12 were for serious alleged offences.

“The QCT must suspend a teacher’s registration or PTT if the teacher is charged with a serious offence,” the teacher registration authority said in a statement.

It said offences included “serious child-related sexual offences under the Criminal Code” and certain offences under the Classification of Computer Games and Images Act 1995, the Classification of Films Act 1991 and the Classification of Publications Act 1991.

All suspensions are reviewed by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, known as QCAT.

The number of serious alleged offence suspensions so far in 2022 sits at 12, on a par with previous years with a total of 16 suspensions in 2021, 17 in 2020 and 16 in 2019.

Tracking well behind previous years, however, are suspended teaching registrations based on “unacceptable risk”, with just eight such suspensions occurring in 2022.

There were 13, 16 and 17 such suspensions in 2019, 2020 and 2021 respectively.

“The QCT has the discretion to suspend a teacher’s registration or PTT if (it) believes that the teacher poses an unacceptable risk of harm to children.”

Shockingly, however, an additional Queensland teacher has had their registration cancelled after it emerged that their accreditation had been revoked in another state, the first such case in at least four years.

“If a teacher’s registration in another state is suspended on disciplinary grounds, or as a result of or in anticipation of criminal, civil or disciplinary proceedings, then their registration in Queensland is suspended under the Mutual Recognition Act.”

QCT could not provide a geographical breakdown of where in Queensland the bans or suspensions occurred.

Carol Ronken, director of research with child-protection organisation Bravehearts, said it was disappointing the figures had remained steady over the past few years.

“It is especially concerning given the findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse and the focus on creating ‘child-safe’ organisations, including recruitment and staff development practices and child-safe cultures in organisations including schools, since the Royal Commission report was completed in 2017,” the criminologist said.

“We know one in five children will be sexually abused before the age of 18, and most often by someone they know and trust.

“Our schools should be a safe place for our children.”