It's claimed more than 100 teachers with criminal records are working in our public schools.
Background checks on 268 applicants for classroom teaching positions revealed serious offences but half of them were still hired.
Two teachers even failed the Working with Children Background Check, meaning they could be a risk to children but were still admitted in the ranks of the Education Department.
The figures, released under Freedom of Information only tell half the story.
The Department can't produce any records on what the teachers were fined or jailed for, because the background checks are destroyed after six months because of confidentiality.
Acting Education Minister Tony Kelly says part of the agreement with teachers is to destroy the checks once they're employed.
“The Crim Track agreement ran with all the police agencies in Australia, was only thrashed out over many years of negotiation, and part of that agreement is that after 180 days that those records have to be destroyed.”