320 public school employees in Japan were punished for sex-related violations in the last fiscal year, a record-high according to a survey by the Japanese education ministry.
The survey, issued last week, said the punished included principals, teachers and dormitory supervisors, who committed offences from April 2023 to March 2024, The Straits Times reported.
Around half of them were found guilty for sexual violence against children, and 155 were dismissed from their posts.
Over half of the violations were committed at schools, and most cases involved junior high school students aged 13-15, the ministry said.
Compared to the previous period, the number of school employees who committed sex-related offenses increased by 79, despite a law to prevent sexual violence from educational personnel having come into effect in April 2022. The law requires authorities to conduct sexual assault prevention training on school staff.
Teachers who lost their jobs for committing violations against children are restricted from returning to teaching positions.
Earlier this month, a junior high school principal in Japan was sentenced to nine years in jail for sexually assaulting another student at a previous school he worked at, around 13 years after the crime was committed, NHK reported.
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