Students at risk: How convicted sex offenders remain teachers in schools

Instagram:

“Maybe because the Sex Offender Registry is not readily available to Jamaicans, [it seems] we are too worried about paedophiles’ rights and not our children!” – @diedreh

“I no longer have a child in school, but for those parents who do, keep close to your kids. Know where they are, who their friends are, keep tabs on their phones/laptops. Don’t take anything for granted.” – @millie.clarke.146

“Wouldn’t be surprised if some of these educators were involved in sex trafficking, or worse.” – @wealthy_yute101

“No! No! Absolutely not! This needs to be addressed ASAP! How was this allowed to happen? The majority of molestation and sexual abuse cases feature people the victims already know and consider them someone they can trust. We have fights breaking out in school, so parents have little peace of mind. Now you’re telling me that the very educators entrusted to teach and protect them might be the ones putting them in danger.” – @aaronrballantyne

“Jamaica need to start protecting their children, this has been going on far too long. This [is] why the country is the way it is, [they] keep protecting the wrong people. The children are our future; if they cannot trust adults, who are they going to trust?” – @crabcake.60

“Action should be brought against learning institutions that don’t do proper due diligence when employing these persons and retain them after finding out their awful background. I rather my child say they didn’t a lot of teachers at school than a teacher touched them inappropriately.” – @carimc_ja

“Wait a minute! So I do everything in my power to protect my girls, and you’re telling me that y’all have perverts teaching dem? C’mon now, [this] must be a joke. How unnu wah police record for everything? How this slip? These persons should not be anywhere near kids, for crying out loud!” – @876coacoabutter_

“I guess the police records are only mandatory for some schools, or some teachers.” – @forever27jme

Facebook:

“Weed them out. The State should protect our children from all kinds of abuses while in and out of school. Our students should not be put in danger of abuse of any kind, by anyone hired by the State.” – @Pactrik Gordon

“Them need to get rid of them before them pounce on their next victims.’ – @Amelia Smith

“Just like how you have gunmen, murderers and thieves as students, what protection are you guys asking for teachers?” – @Lizanice AuldAboutme

“Get rid of them out of the classroom, out of the Government, out of the hospitals. Everywhere.” – @Angela Edwards

– Compiled by Kashauna Atkins