WINNIPEG -- Twenty teachers in Manitoba had their certificates revoked over the last four year, most of them for serious sexual offences, according to government records.
The records indicate the teachers were disciplined for a variety of charges and convictions, from professional misconduct to luring a child.
Monique St. Germain, with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, said the numbers are very concerning.
“There’s a lot of serious offences that are listed in the disclosure document,” said St. Germain.
Provincial records show between 2016 and 2019, 20 teachers had their teaching certificates cancelled permanently or suspended. In 10 of the cases, teachers were convicted of serious criminal offences.
Some of the charges include sexual assault, sexual assault causing bodily harm and sexual exploitation.
It’s unclear how many of the cases involve students, if at all, or if they occurred in or outside of school.
The Canada Centre for Child Protection would like to see disciplinary records, including the teacher's name, posted publicly, as is done in Ontario.
“For the protection of children, in general, those sorts of things need to be brought to light,” said St. Germain.
The Manitoba Teachers Society said criminal violations of the trust of children in schools are reprehensible, but it is opposed to posting teaching records online for privacy reasons.
"We don’t believe making teachers’ disciplinary records would serve the public interest nor that of our members. Almost all the cases our MTS committee deals with are not egregious cases such as sexual assault. Those cases are heard in a court of law – in a very public process – with media usually reporting on them,” said the MTS in a statement.
The Canadian Centre for Child Protection said criteria could be developed on when to make something public, and when not to, depending on the level of misconduct.
“It may well be the first time this happens. It’s a corrective action and there is no need to be publicly naming anyone,” said St. Germain.
