Checks for sex offenders proposed in school hiring
PHOTO: FILE
As the Punjab government proceeds with recruitment of 12,500 School Teacher Interns (STIs), a proposal from the province's top prosecution office has shifted the conversation from employment opportunities to student safety.
Punjab Prosecutor General, Syed Farhad Ali Shah has formally recommended that every new and existing school employee be screened through a national Sex Offenders Register (SOR), a move spurred not only by the massive teacher hiring under way but also recent child abuse scandals involving educators that have shaken public confidence in school safety.
The proposal came at a critical time as the Punjab cabinet had approved the STI hiring earlier this month with applications being accepted between November 12 and 21.
The programme aims to temporarily fill acute teacher shortages with thousands of interns expected to be deputed in government schools on six to nine months contracts.
The suggestion warns that such a rapid and large recruitment wave, if not carefully screened, can unintentionally open doors to individuals with prior sexual crime convictions. It insists that the Sex Offenders Register managed by NADRA and tied to court verified convictions must be woven into the hiring process "without exception".
Several cases of abuse in Punjab's schools have been exposed recently.
In May, a teacher in Rahim Yar Khan was arrested after allegedly raping multiple students and recording explicit videos of children on his mobile phone. The case raised questions about how offenders gain access to educational institutions.
In another incident, the husband of teacher in Gujranwala was arrested on allegations of molesting several schoolgirls on the premises of an informal school, prompting protests from parents and child rights activists.
A parent remarked when asked about the matter outside a government school in Johar Town, "If a child can be abused inside a classroom then what's the point of a beautiful building or good curriculum? Safety comes before education."
Another parent in Gujranwala wondered why background checks were not already mandatory, noting that "teachers are entrusted with our children for hours more than even family members at times".
However, a child protection lawyer commented that while the SOR is "a powerful preventive tool," the government must also adopt strict data protection rules, clear procedures and an appeal process for wrongly flagged individuals.
Punjab Teachers Union (PTU) Secretary General Rana Liaqat Ali said the community supported student safety. "It is a good suggestion and hopefully the situation in schools regarding harassment incidents will improve."
Rights activists stress that background checks must distinguish between convictions and unverified accusations, and must involve unbiased oversight.
Legal experts add that integrating the SOR into school hiring will require new protocols between the law ministry, the school education department and the district committees concerned.
These protocols must define who can access the registry, how information will be verified and privacy protected.
Without such guidelines, they warned, the proposal could remain symbolic rather than impactful.