15-May-2024 | Fasih
Benefits of Educational Institutes' Background Checks for Teachers & Staff
Ensuring Child and Staff Safety - Background Check for Educational Institutes
Educational institutes are the cornerstone of society. The kind of scholars and learners a society produces depends upon the quality of these institutions. These organizations depend upon the teachers, administration and staff who constitute them, allowing them to shape young minds and the future of a nation.
Teachers and other employees at educational institutes have the responsibility of supervising students for multiple hours each school day — often with no other adults present for long periods. School administration that hires its staff, takes serious steps and strives to employ trustworthy individuals.
However, validating credentials represents just one step in a comprehensive process for hiring educators. Only a thorough background check for the staff of an educational institute can provide the detailed information that educational hiring managers need to make sound decisions about candidates. State and national laws also often mandate teacher background checks. The goal is to provide a safer learning environment and ensure employees can perform the necessary job requirements.
Apart from teachers and admin staff, one important wing is constituted by the peons, maids, gatekeepers and janitorial staff who also have access to all areas of the school and in turn all the students. It is important to be very careful when hiring individuals for this role. Conducting thorough verification and background checks on their documents, work history, and character is essential.
What is a Background Check for Educational Institutions?
Research, unfortunately, reveals that nearly 78% of job seekers are dishonest in their applications. While this dishonesty may not so heavily impact some industries, the education industry has a lot at stake.
An educational institute does not only comprise teachers, it includes the non-teaching staff too. From gatekeepers to coordinators and assistants, these are also the people with whom students interact daily and eventually become familiar with. Children are innocent and may unintentionally disclose details about their home and family life. It is important to protect this information from being exploited by dishonest individuals. Hence, it's equally important to screen any potential employee who is part of an educational organization for the safety of these young learners while parents send them to schools and colleges with trust in the institute.
Type of Background Check for Educational Institutions
Listed below are the types of checks that an educational institute can conduct before recruitment.
Criminal Background Checks:
This is one of the most crucial background checks which may reveal past criminal convictions, including misdemeanors and felonies. By identifying candidates with a past criminal history, educational institutes can ensure the safety of their student body and shortlist only those candidates with a clean record. Be it teachers who are in close proximity to students and parents with access to personal information about these students, to peons and maids, who work on campus. Even one wrong hire can be a threat to the safety of young children.
Educational & Credential Verification:
This check is an important step in employing eligible and credible staff for the school as it ensures the candidate is who he claims to be by verifying their degree and credentials. This ensures that quality education is imparted by experts and affects the entire structure of our educational framework. Hiring someone who has misquoted their achievements on their resume is something no educational institute would knowingly do.
Employment Verification:
Experience is a key component in securing a good job and this check allows recruiters to verify candidates' past employment by cross-checking references. Especially in the teaching profession, experience translates into a student’s academic success and allows the grooming of the future of the country. It is also important to know the reason a teacher may have left their previous job. If someone has been fired for hitting a student, no school would want to make the mistake of hiring such a facilitator.
These checks are an essential component of the educational background verification process.
Importance of Background Check for Educational Institutions
Background checks for educational institutions are crucial for the following reasons:
Preventing School Violence:
The last decade has witnessed an upsurge in the crime rate, including schools, where multiple criminal cases have been reported here and abroad especially due to gun violence. By conducting extensive background screening, the school’s administration can make sure that their employees maintain the security of their institution, harnessing a safe and secure environment for their student's learning.
Building School's Reputation:
In this fast-paced time, news spreads like wildfire. One bad hire can be catastrophic for the educational organization, leading to negative publicity, dropouts, and a lack of new admissions which can mar the institute’s growth. For schools, which are already under tight scrutiny from parents, it is significant to build a positive image that ensures the institute’s good repute and maintains the trust of all stakeholders. By conducting comprehensive background checks for all hired staff, schools can ensure that their employees are responsible and trustworthy, helping to build their brand image and the future of impressionable young minds.
Compliance with Regulations:
Legally, a background investigation has to be done for people working with children in most countries to ensure compliance with the requirements of the position being offered. However, such regulations are met not because of administrative requirements but due to an ethical and legal obligation.
Importance of Background Checks for College and Universities
In an educational context, the word “faculty” refers primarily to the academic wing of a school, college, university, or other institution. So, what types of background checks are the norm for college faculty – such as professors, instructors, or lecturers? The norms around college faculty background checks tend to be more relaxed than for pre-school, elementary, and high school teachers.
Even though all educators almost always need to be licensed teachers who have earned their degrees in teaching or education yet, colleges and universities also look for people with expertise in specific fields or academic areas. Post-secondary institutions also prefer candidates with more credentials and experience in a specific academic area. Thus, this affects the types of background checks colleges, and universities run on their faculty.
In addition to faculty checks, some colleges and universities also conduct background checks on incoming students. Higher education institutions also consider transcripts to ensure students have the proper grades and coursework to meet admissions standards
Background checks are gaining momentum in colleges and universities, ensuring the credibility of faculty credentials and contributing to campus safety by verifying the backgrounds of incoming students.
Furthermore, the help staff, admin staff, canteen staff and janitorial staff at such large campuses also must be put through a background check before being hired.
Benefits of Educational Institutes' Background Checks for Teachers & Staff
Conducting a background check on teachers reaps positive benefits for children and teachers alike. While some may feel a background check questions their integrity, it’s not about that. It’s about reducing risks.
Educational institutes need to know two things. Is the candidate capable and qualified to perform the job? Can the candidate endanger any student, the staff, or the institute’s reputation?
A thorough background check can help answer both questions by verifying a candidate’s credentials, training, education, and work experience, and researching their history for high-risk behavior or criminal activity. This encourages parents and students to have confidence in the expertise and skills of their teachers, promoting trust in the institute and students’ academic growth. It also entails a harmonious work environment, where the staff can work with peace of mind and help nurture children. Hence, background checks provide a win-win situation for all.
Conclusion
From small educational startups to large reputed educational institutions, from colleges that cater to young adults, or universities that produce certified learning individuals, there exists a significant need for background checks in the educational sphere, especially in Pakistan’s current dismal educational scenario.
Check Xperts, a leading background verification service company in Pakistan offers comprehensive background verification services, including education verification, employment verification, and criminal records checking; all your educational verification checks under one reliable roof.
FAQs
- Do schools check backgrounds before hiring staff?
Yes, many schools conduct background checks before hiring staff. These background checks typically include criminal history checks, educational and credential verification, employment verification, and sometimes reference checks. These checks help schools ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff, and maintain the integrity of the educational environment. However, many schools overlook this and hire in haste believing everything the potential candidate states on paper. - Can I ask schools for a background check report?
You cannot directly request a background check report from a school unless you are the subject of the background check. Background check reports are typically confidential and are used by employers, including schools, for hiring and screening purposes. If you are the subject of the background check, you have the right to request a copy of the report from the school or the background check provider, by applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction. - Can I ask an educational institute to get their staff background checked?
While you cannot compel an institution to conduct background checks, you can inquire about their policies and encourage them to prioritize safety.
