Teachers caught abusing children face life ban

Any teacher caught abusing, molesting or sexually harassing students will be banned from teaching at any school again, the Ministry of Education said on Friday.

Their teaching credentials, academic titles and honors will also be revoked, and their information will be recorded in the national teachers' information system and no school will be allowed to hire them again, the ministry said on its website in four statements detailing the code of conduct for teachers from kindergarten to university.

Teachers accused of committing crimes will be referred to law enforcement authorities, and schools that fail to supervise their teachers or hide their misbehaviors from authorities will also be held accountable, the ministry said.

Teaching ethics will be an indispensable part of all teachers' evaluation for promotion or getting awards, and teachers who violate ethics will not be eligible for promotion or higher academic titles, it said.

Kindergarten teachers who violate teaching ethics and cause serious damage will be forbidden to teach again, said a high-level directive published on Thursday.

Kindergartens that physically harm students will have their certificate revoked, with people in charge banned from opening kindergartens again, said the document jointly issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.