>>84956432All Australian teachers are required to have professional registration with their respective state or territory Teacher Quality Institute.
They are regulated by a Code of Professional Practice and Conduct which stipulates that "teachers must not engage in behaviour that raises a reasonable suspicion that they have engaged in or will engage in sexual misconduct".
"Teachers' interactions with students, including those over 16 years of age must be, and be seen to be, professional at all times including 'out of school' hours."
Breaching the code can lead to a teacher having their professional registration cancelled and being unable to gain employment as a teacher.
Mr Corbell has previously strengthened aspects of its legislation protecting students from predatory teachers.
In 2011, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions warned that a loophole in ACT legislation made it legal for teachers to have sex with students as long as they were over the age of consent of 16.
In 2013, the Assembly agreed to raise this to 18. It also put the ACT in line with NSW, Western Australia, Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory where it is a crime for a person to have sexual interactions with a 16 or 17-year-old under their "special care or supervision" – including students.
Consent is negated under 18 because the teacher is an authority figure.
