Education ministry to share data on teachers who commit obscene acts

Um, should they be in jail instead of applying for jobs in other prefectures? Also, shouldn't this information come up in a police background check? I've had four or five background checks done when I applied for certain teaching jobs. Do they only run background checks on foreigners?

Something the BoE should have been doing right from the get-go. Risking children's safety all this time because why? Parents and children alike should be up in arms.

sharing the data instead of hiding it, what a brilliant idea! morons

I think this is a good move towards the safety of the children in schools. I think background checks are only done for non-japanese people applying for anyrthing in japan.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has requested 480 million yen as a fiscal 2018 budget outlay to finance the system change, which is intended to prevent dismissed or suspended teachers from landing jobs at different schools by concealing their past records.

How about a 100 yen black marker and a mandatory phone call to the registrars office?

"Hello, teacher licensing office? Yamada-san is applying to our school, has his license been revoked for lewd behavior or criminal activity? ..... It has? thank you for your time!"

Why do they need 480 MILLION yen of taxpayer money to accomplish this?

According to law, a teacher's license becomes invalidated if the holder is discharged as a result of disciplinary measures or physical or mental problems, or given a prison sentence or other heavier penalties.

Pray tell just what is a "heavier penalty" than a prison sentence?

Do they only run background checks on foreigners?

NO, they do background checks on ALL applicants. Most are perfunctory.

What we are seeing, is a move towards much needed cooperation between ministries to prevent criminals from being employed around children.

At least it will better ready soon in 7 years

Have worked with a peodophile reported him police interviewed him and released him so he could sort out his stuff before jail, fortunately he used the time to jump under a train. If they had a shared information system, not hard I like to call it e-mails perhaps children would be safe and dodgy people's not employed as teachers.

According to law, a teacher's license becomes invalidated if the holder is discharged as a result of disciplinary measures or physical or mental problems, or given a prison sentence or other heavier penalties.

Excuse me, did I just read that becoming physically disabled results in revocation of your teaching license?

Is this accurate?

one of the most important functions of government is to protect its citizens, espcially children. and sometimes japan does such a poor job of this. it's appalling that japan has allowed these predators to fall through the cracks simply because their database isn't up to par. stop worrying about changing the constitution and worry more about how to improve the livelihood of children.

The new database is expected to be ready in several years.

> the lightning speed of progress...

Quite right.  Penalties in other countries can be severe.

On JT we often treat these types of sexual deviance as peculiarly Japanese issues - they aren't

It's a massive dereliction of duty that this hasn't happened so far.

Over 4 million USD (easier to imagine than big numbers of yen) to do this also strikes me as crazy. If the cost is that high, does that mean there is no system in place for private hoikuens, sports clubs, etc. to run the same checks?

update the database managing teacher's licenses from next fiscal year

every poster seems to make the comments about criminals..."i was drunk" or "i don't remember". how about to use a new excuse..."next fiscal year" or "after 2020"?

this is a very serious issue that affects children for the rest of their lives. people involved in checks and databases should not be allowed to sleep until they finish the job to prevent these horrible people. surely in 2 days they can rectify their incompetence.

Just a quick question about how Japan does things, but should "teachers who committed obsence acts against children" NOT be teachers anymore? One person at least in the article shares that sort of common-sense deduction, but the system clearly does not.

480,000,000 Yen!!! Some (already decided) software contractor is going to make a small fortune for a few clicks of the mouse!

480,000,000 Yen!!! Some (already decided) software contractor is going to make a small fortune for a few clicks of the mouse!

I think you know little about the costs associated with setting up a database like this, making it secure, and connecting it throughout the entire country.

That's roughly 4.8 million dollars (@100円to the $) a pittance when it comes to networking costs and purchasing computers and what not for 47 different prefectures.

I am truly surprised it doesnt cost more, a hell of a lot more.

I'm surprised to hear people have had background checks done. I've taught in three prefectures in various roles and not once have I ever had to submit a criminal background check. You can't even volunteer with kids in most developed countries without one. About time Japan gets this sorted as too many monsters out there have hurt kids and gotten away with it time and time again.

The ministry will also consider obtaining certificates confirming past records from education boards where applicants were previously based.

Consider? So if that goes over budget or the amakudari company in charge says it's "muzukashii", they are not going to bother?

According to the article, the database is already there but is difficult to search. If it can be searched, albeit with difficulty, presumably some of the restructuring of the data could be automated.

He was previously arrested and suspended from work for involvement in child pornography in Saitama Prefecture near Tokyo

"Suspended" (?!) for child porn? Is that the extent of punishment?

'He had changed his name on the family registry and the teacher's license.'

How about a database of instances name changes have been made to teacher's licenses? It might cost less than 480,000,000 yen.

 I ever had to submit a criminal background check.

You may not even have known it was done, your resume would be the basis for the check.

You get the information & the responsibility ...

About bloody time.

You may not even have known it was done, your resume would be the basis for the check.

That alone is not good enough. People lie on their CVs.

If those teachers were prosecuted and did time for their crimes instead of being mollycoddled, we woudn't have to worry about it so

That alone is not good enough. People lie on their CVs.

If you have ever applied or been hired here you would understand that there is more to the package than the resume, other id is provided as well, but the resume is the basis for the start of a background check.

Yeee! about time! nice one JBOE now i see a few slippery snakes slipping through the net, i.e. changing names etc, OK lets have fingerprints of all of your teachers on record, so if they change names, addresses it still can be traced back to who and where mr, mrs x comes from and a positive identification,

As for suspension from work and other lighter disciplinary actions that are not listed on official journals, 

well this needs to change right now, EVERY misconduct act and light disciplinary action needs to be noted,

He was previously arrested and suspended from work for involvement in child pornography in Saitama Prefecture near Tokyo but an education board in Aichi hired him after having failed to thoroughly check his past record. He had changed his name on the family registry and the teacher's license.

There is missing information here, and is misleading as well. Aichi did a piss poor job of doing anything other than a perfunctory check.

It is not so simple to change your name, one has to go through the family courts, and the family registry is amended as well to identify the changes made.

Aichi did not ask for his koseki tohon, or full family registry, and they probably didnt ask for his koseki shohon, either which is for the individual only, and does not show changes or the full family. Not to mention that his parents would have been on the shohon as well, and the names would have been different.

Sounds to me that they asked for his jumin hyou, which is quite common, when seeking employment, to show official residency.

Me thinks the article is wrong!

You may not even have known it was done, your resume would be the basis for the check.

Are you kidding me? Do you even know what a back check entails and are you aware that very few places even check references when hiring? The idea that anyone here has done a background check on me based on my resume is laughable.

Are you kidding me? Do you even know what a back check entails and are you aware that very few places even check references when hiring? The idea that anyone here has done a background check on me based on my resume is laughable.

Yes in fact I very much do know, have had it done a number of times here, hence my sharing with you that your resume is the start place. I also mentioned in another thread that most are perfunctory,

Oh yes, I am talking about Japan, and I will ask YOU, do YOU even know what one entails HERE in Japan?

Are you kidding me? Do you even know what a back check entails and are you aware that very few places even check references when hiring?

Another thing, if you were actually hired by any reputable business your resume alone was not the only identification that you supplied when you were hired. You supplied other forms of identification, and if you are truly a gaijin here, you also supplied either your residence card, or prior to that your gaijin card.

Not to mention your passport copy as well.

Do you even know what a back check entails and are you aware that very few places even check references when hiring? 

Obviously didn't write a Japanese rireki-sho either, as the typical one has no space or lines for "references"