Convicted sex offenders targeted

LONDON, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Britain will bar any person convicted of a child sex offence from working in schools, says Education Secretary Ruth Kelly.

She made the announcement in parliament after calls for her resignation stemming from allegations that her department had cleared a man on the sex offenders' register to teach physical education, reports Sky News.

Kelly promised the system of vetting people to work with children would be given a complete overhaul.

Her department also has been hit by a report on soaring truancy rates, the report said. Another report has said the government-run schools are among the worst secondary schools in the country.