Hyderabad: Parent associations sought blacklisting of teachers who are repeat offenders to protect academic interests of students.

Suresh Nair, a parent said, “If the education department can come out with a list of offenders, it will help other schools during the recruitment. It can also help in shaming offenders. Teaching is a noble profession and those who hurt children cannot be taken lightly.”

Parent associations in Telangana also demanded checking background of teachers before hiring. Mr Chava Ravi, principal office-bearer of the Telangana United Teachers’ Federation, said, “It is ridiculous if guilty teachers can still resume service.” He further stated that Telangana does not follow the character assessment during teachers’ recruitment.

“Schools also do not conduct background checks,” noted Ravi.

“We are trying to ensure that a safe environment is maintained for children. It is not possible to conduct a background check on all our teachers within a day but we are planning to do the same soon,” said an official from the intermediate board of education.

Radhika Sujith, an educational expert, said ,”We hear cases happening during tuitions. Parents should ensure that teachers are working in recognised institutions and have not faced any enquiry.”