By LIEW HANQING

ON HIS blog, the teacher romantically linked to his charges chats in a child-like manner. It may have been his way of reaching out to his students.

Related link: » When teachers cross the line

Or it could be a sign of immaturity.

Though he is 29, he looks much younger and can easily be mistaken for a teenager.

But the onus is always on the teacher to ensure that the line between them never gets blurred.

Without that, he or she is a potential menace to their charges.

Teachers are in a unique position of authority, which commands respect and demands trust.

Along with parents, they set the tone for how these young impressionable minds are shaped.

The student's sense of what is right and wrong can go out of whack with a teacher like this.

But that's only one part of the problem. This man had a history of behaving inappropriately with his students.

So, where was the monitoring?

He had been warned and transferred to another school.

His students even claim he talks dirty and is 'horny'.

How did that escape the attention of the school?

Schools are meant to be safe havens where students can learn and grow.

The last thing parents should have to fear is that their children could be harmed in what is supposed to be a safe environment.

Teachers, on their part, need to recognise the need to maintain a certain sense of propriety when dealing with their students.

They must be constantly aware of the boundaries they need to stay within and be careful not to get too close to their students.

They must also be continually reminded of the Education Ministry's guidelines long after they are recruited.

And when a teacher crosses the line, no matter how good he or she is, strong action must be taken.

They should not be allowed to continue teaching or to be in any position that could harm the development of these young minds.

Counselling may help but active monitoring is essential to make sure that the teacher does not repeat the offence.

Can this incident be seen as a friendly teacher taking a student out on a date in the safe environment of a school, something that is almost natural?

It shouldn't be.

Teachers have a moral duty towards their students. And the relationship between teacher and student is one that should remain sacrosanct.

This article was first published in The New Paper.