Society is paranoid that our children must have all aspects of safety. They must be appropriately restrained during car travel and all the people concerned with their schooling must be squeaky clean.
What a surprise to learn that the Australian Human Rights Commission sued the Education department, claiming discrimination because they refused to employ a teacher because he had a criminal past. The department was forced to pay $ 38,000 compensation to this man.
It seems that the applicant was involved in criminal activity from 1983 to 1992 and served an eight month stretch in prison. He then refrained from further criminal activity and gained teaching qualifications and the Human Rights Commission contended that to hold his past against him was unlawful.
What a slap in the face for those tasked with making teacher appointments - and just what would the public have to say had a person with criminal convictions been employed - and later offended against children ?
The safety of children is supposed to be paramount and to most people that means that those in the education system should have an absolutely clean record - but that is not the way the Human Rights commission sees it.
Obviously, having a fine imposed will see a lowering of standards in education employment - to the detriment of the ideals of child safety.
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