How paedophiles, prostitutes, drug dealers and even a KILLER have all applied for jobs teaching children
Would-be teachers have been caught with extensive violent pasts with 3450 individuals with 9960 convictions applying to become teachers
DANGEROUS paedophiles, sex criminals, drug dealers, prostitutes and even a killer have all tried to enter the classroom as a teacher, The Sun Online can reveal.
A total of 3450 brazen individuals with 9960 convictions applied to become teachers in the past year, with the criminals, many of whom would have served jail-time for their crimes, weeded out through extensive background checks.
People with a total of 27 convictions for indecent assault applied to work in schools while one person with a manslaughter conviction - which carries a maximum life sentence - also applied.
Individuals with 17 counts of prostitution have also applied to be a teacher while there were three convictions for possessing obscene material.
There were two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child while one person had been convicted of inciting a child under 13 to take part in sexual activity.
The Sun Online can further reveal that among those applying to work as a teacher, there were more than a dozen convictions for race hate crimes along with four counts of subjecting animals to undue suffering.
The crimes were flagged during background checks due to the work done by the Government's Disclosure and Barring Service, which helps employers like schools and colleges to weed out crooks who apply for jobs.
The horrifying statistics, released under a Freedom of Information Request, show that those angling to become teachers have been involved in drug-smuggling and violent crimes.
The most common crime flagged in the past 12 months was drink-driving with those hoping to become teachers prosecuted 1325 times.
A total of 726 offences of shoplifting were also recorded while possession and drug-dealing added up to just under 200 crimes.
The number of burglary offences amounted to 212, according to a Freedom of Information request.
Worryingly, the number of violent crimes listed topped 200 as well.
Convictions for battery stood at 150, while there were 34 cases of wounding and seven of wounding with intent to inflict GBH.
The list also included more than 150 crimes of attacking police or resisting arrest and 260 offences of ABH.
Several cases of causing death by dangerous and reckless driving were listed and there was even a case of administering poison to endanger life.
A total of 36 convictions for carrying illegal weapons – including guns and knives - were listed.
The Freedom of Information request found that the crimes were uncovered during 284,510 DBS checks carried up for the 12 months up to the end of June this year.
The figures also include unusual offences like “angling in the daytime in private waters” and being drunk in charge of a pedal cycle.
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In the UK there is a list of crimes which automatically bans people from working with children. Any child sex offenders cannot work in schools, and nor can murderers and kidnappers.
Those who have committed violent acts on vulnerable people including the mentally ill or disabled would also be barred automatically.
It is also a crime not to declare your criminal record when applying for a teaching post.
But with the majority of crimes candidates are allowed to explain themselves and get the opportunity to convince employers to take them on regardless of their past.
And every year there are also dozens of teachers and headteachers who carried out crimes while in work and were allowed to keep their jobs – often offences like drink driving.
But three years ago a teacher who downloaded child porn was allowed to resume his career by the Department for Education.
Geoffrey Bettley, then 36, from West Yorkshire. was sacked, given a police caution and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register after admitting viewing sickening images over several years.
But a professional conduct panel said the married RE teacher could return to the classroom because of his “excellent teaching”.
Claude Knights, head of charity Kidscape, said: "It is a sad fact that those who prey on children will seek to work or volunteer in environments that give them access to children. They will often use devious means to create opportunities and situations that enable them to groom and then to sexually abuse young people."
She said the huge numbers of people with past convictions applying to work in classrooms was "very concerning".
While praising the work of the Disclosure and Barring Service, she said there was "no room for complacency".
"The strict application of DBS checks must therefore be followed by vigilant monitoring of employees, and ongoing child protection training for all staff, so that settings that cater for children can be safe places in which to grow and learn."
An NSPCC spokesperson said sex offenders were often "devious" and would often go to great lengths to access children.
The spokesperson said: "These figures are alarming and indicate that the Disclosure and Barring Service is a vital part of the child protection system. Schools, hospitals and other regulated settings must be vigilant and take every possible precaution to ensure no one who works there has previously harmed children."
The spokesperson said the DBS checks were only one of many checks in place to protect children.
They said: “Any offender with a history of child sex abuse should be considered a risk to children's safety for the rest of their lives. This is why it's so important they are closely tracked and monitored by the police once they are back in the community.”
A spokesperson for the Disclosure and Barring Service said: “The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. We work with the police, who provide information that is held locally or on the police national computer.
"The protection of children and vulnerable groups is of paramount importance and DBS checks are an important tool for informing employment decisions. Nonetheless, it is important that employers do not just rely on checks by the DBS to make their recruitment decisions.
"The DBS is unable to confirm if any of the individuals were employed as a result of the information being included on a certificate as the DBS has no involvement in any recruitment decision made. The recruitment decision is made by the employer or other body.”
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