Checks before hiring teachers in Colombia: background records and disqualifications

Background checks: what to review before hiring a teacher

Music teachers often work closely with students: in individual, in-home, or online lessons, or with groups of children. Before hiring someone, it's therefore wise to review their background through official sources. These checks are done online and require the candidate's authorization:

Save the date of each check alongside its result. A certificate reflects the person's status at that moment; it isn't a guarantee about the future. Complement it with references, a code of conduct, and ongoing monitoring.

What to do if a record appears

If the disqualification check shows that the candidate is barred, they cannot be hired for a role involving direct, regular contact with minors. If another type of record appears, discuss its relevance to the role with your legal advisor before deciding, and keep the information confidential.

Disqualification checks: Law 1918 of 2018 and Decree 753 of 2019

Law 1918 of 2018 bars people convicted of sexual offenses against minors from roles, occupations, or professions involving direct, regular contact with minors, including in education, culture, and the arts. The Policía Nacional administers the disqualification register.

Decree 753 of 2019 governs the checks: public and private organizations may search the register during hiring, always with the candidate's prior, explicit written authorization. That authorization must be kept with the person's résumé or personnel file.

How to run the check, step by step

1. Ask the candidate to sign prior, explicit written authorization to search the disqualification register before running the check.
2. Go to the Policía Nacional disqualification check portal and identify your organization. To run a check, the organization must first be authorized by the ICBF; check the official website for instructions on how to apply.
3. Run the check using the candidate's identification details.
4. Keep the result and authorization with the résumé or personnel file.
5. Make your decision based on the result and document that the check took place before hiring.

Law 2375 of 2024: stricter rules

Law 2375 of 2024 strengthened these rules: it expands and clarifies the roles covered, including people providing services to children and teenagers in cultural, recreational, and sporting settings, and provides for fines against organizations that fail to run checks or that hire disqualified people.

For a music academy, cultural program, or school with after-school activities, the practical conclusion is clear: disqualification checks are required for roles involving contact with minors. Review which roles in your institution are covered with your advisor.

The hiring organization is responsible for the checks

Even if a third party helps you find and shortlist candidates, the legal duty to verify falls on the hiring organization. Your institution must run its own disqualification check, with the candidate’s authorization and the organization’s details, and retain the evidence.

At Gissi, we assess each teacher's musicianship, teaching skills, and personal qualities before their first lesson, and our tailored teacher selection service introduces you to prescreened candidates. Your institution still runs the check for its own hiring process: no external partner can take on that responsibility for you.

• Agree in writing on what the partner assesses and what your institution verifies.
• Apply the same procedure to every new hire involving contact with minors, whether full-time, hourly, or a substitute, and confirm the scope in each case with your advisor.
• Assign an internal staff member to manage the checks and file the authorizations.

Protecting candidate data: Law 1581 of 2012

Checks involve processing personal data, some of it highly sensitive. Law 1581 of 2012 (habeas data) sets the basic rules:

• Prior, explicit, informed authorization to process the candidate's data, starting when you receive their résumé.
• Clear purpose: explain how you'll use the data; for example, selecting a candidate for a specific role and conducting the associated checks.
• Authorized retention: if you want to keep the résumé after the process for future vacancies, you need authorization for that purpose.
• Restricted access: only those making the hiring decision should see the check results.

You can include data-processing authorization in your application form and request explicit written authorization for the disqualification check. Ask your advisor to review the wording of both.

Employment references and qualification verification

Certificates tell you what doesn't appear in someone's record; references tell you how they work. Ask for at least two employment references and, if the role involves children, try to get at least one from a previous job working with children.

What to ask references

• What role did they hold, and how long did they work with you?
• What age groups did they teach, and in what format: individual lessons, groups, or ensembles?
• What were their relationships with students and families like?
• Did they keep to schedules and honor agreements?
• Would you hire them again?

Gaps in employment history

If the résumé has periods without work, ask the candidate to explain them. The aim is to understand a complete, coherent work history, not to penalize a break that may have many legitimate reasons.

Degrees and certificates

Verify relevant degrees and certificates with the institution that issued them. A degree doesn't tell you how someone teaches, but if the role requires one, it must be genuine. To assess teaching skills, use a demo lesson with a rubric.

Code of conduct for 1:1 and online lessons with minors

Checks are a snapshot of the moment they're carried out. What protects students day to day is a clear code of conduct that every teacher understands and signs when joining. Here are some essential points:

• Institutional channels: communication with underage students uses institutional channels or includes the family; no private chats.
• Visible spaces: lessons with the door open or in rooms where others can see in; in-home lessons in a shared area of the home.
• Online lessons: on institutional platforms, with the camera in a shared space and the family's knowledge.
• Social media: do not follow or add underage students from personal accounts, or post photos or videos of them without the family's authorization.
• Responsible adult: a responsible adult must be present in the home during in-home lessons with young children.
• Physical contact: demonstrate first when correcting posture; if touching is necessary, explain it beforehand and ask permission.
• Reporting procedure: a clear channel for students, families, and teachers to report any situation that concerns them.

Pre-hiring verification checklist

Use this checklist for every finalist before hiring:

1. Candidate-signed authorization to process personal data (Law 1581 of 2012).
2. Prior, explicit written authorization to search the disqualification register.
3. Disqualification check conducted by your institution on the Policía Nacional portal (the organization must be authorized by the ICBF).
4. Criminal records (Policía Nacional).
5. Disciplinary records (Procuraduría General de la Nación).
6. Fiscal liability records (Contraloría General de la República).
7. Registro Nacional de Medidas Correctivas (RNMC).
8. At least two verified employment references, ideally including at least one previous job with children.
9. Gaps in employment history explained.
10. Relevant degrees and certificates verified.
11. Code of conduct signed.
12. Authorizations and results filed with restricted access.

Checks are the last stage of a process that starts much earlier. If you're building or refining yours, read how to hire music teachers step by step or explore our services for academies and schools.

Frequently asked questions