Educators who harm children face lifetime bans from industry

People working in the education industry who commit violent crimes against children, including sexual assault, abuse, abduction and trafficking, will be banned for life from working in the industry, according to a guideline.

The 10-article guideline, jointly issued on Friday by China's top judicial authorities — the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate — as well as the Ministry of Education, aims to strengthen the legal, academic and social protections of children and to eliminate wayward workers from the industry.

The banning of workers who violently or sexually abuse children should be clarified in court rulings in line with the guideline, the authorities said in a statement, adding that the move will help education institutes as they conduct background checks on prospective employees and provide a way for the public to remain engaged.

Courts are also allowed to prevent people in the education industry who commit other types of crimes from working closely with children for three to five years, depending on the offense, according to the guideline, which will take effect on Nov 15.

Education departments are required to confiscate the teaching certificates of offenders in a timely manner, while prosecutors should play a leading role in determining whether the bans are effective, it added.