The National Human Rights Commission found that a school's practice of requiring contract teachers to submit a notice of results for a narcotics addiction test at every contract extension constitutes discrimination and recommended corrective action.
On the 11th, according to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), a contract teacher, identified as A, working at a school had been asked to undergo a narcotics addiction test every year when renewing the contract at the same school. This was not required of regular teachers, and A filed a petition with the NHRC, saying it was inequitable and unfair.
The school responded that contract workers are considered newly hired each time an employment contract is signed, so they must be tested for narcotics addiction at re-contracting. The school also argued that because the validity of a narcotics addiction test result is one year, it needs to recheck at each extension whether there is any disqualifying reason to serve as a teacher.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) determined it was discrimination without a reasonable basis because it applied different standards based solely on the formal difference of employment type, regardless of a teacher's actual duties or risk level. Regular teachers were only tested at initial appointment and were not asked to undergo additional tests even if there were gaps in service due to long-term leave or training.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said, "Requiring repeated tests only for contract teachers risks the misperception that they pose a different level of risk than regular teachers," and recommended corrective measures.