The government’s plan to tighten background checks on prospective teachers for records of sexual offenses still leaves major loopholes, as certain crimes such as stalking and stealing underwear will remain outside the system’s scope.
Experts warn the framework — modeled after the U.K’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) — may fail to fully prevent offenders from returning to classrooms.
The issue drew public attention after police in Fukuoka Prefecture arrested 66-year-old assistant teacher Masahito Kondo earlier this month for submitting a forged copy of a teaching license when applying for a job in the town of Sue.
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