Those convicted of especially serious crimes will be allowed to work as teachers in schools

State Duma Deputy Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy and deputies Valentina Pivnenko, Irina Rodnina, Vladislav Tretyak and Vyacheslav Fetisov introduced a bill to parliament that would allow convicted citizens to work with children.

How writes “Parliamentary newspaper”, the authors of the project believe that those convicted of serious and especially serious crimes with expunged criminal records can be allowed to get jobs as teachers in schools. The publication notes that legislators have thought about security measures: those with criminal records will become teachers only after “their impeccable behavior and active social activities” for “at least 10 years” after serving time. According to the deputies, regional commissions on juvenile affairs will decide whether a citizen convicted of especially serious crimes is worthy of working with children.

The current version of Article 331 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, which deputies decided to change, states that people with a criminal record are not allowed to engage in teaching activities, just like those who have ever been subject to criminal prosecution for crimes against life and health, sexual integrity, family and minors, foundations of the constitutional system. It is also now prohibited to work as teachers for those who have an unexpunged or outstanding conviction for other intentional grave and especially grave crimes. Lawmakers set out to significantly soften these restrictions. At the same time, the Parliamentary Newspaper emphasizes to its readers that the bill simultaneously introduces “restrictions” – we are talking about the requirement for “impeccable behavior”, which will be assessed by the PDN commissions. “Previously, the article did not impose such restrictions,” the parliamentary publication emphasizes.