BEIJING - Teachers' professional ethics will be put under stricter scrutiny by a national evaluation system in China after reports of teachers molesting or raping students recently.

An annual evaluation and problem reporting system on teachers' ethics has been established in order to "purify" the profession with "dynamic supervision," the Ministry of Education said in a document released Tuesday.

The ministry will regularly conduct surveys and analysis on teachers' ethics and gather public opinion, said the document.

"Recently, a very small number of teachers seriously violated teachers' ethics, which draws extensive social attention and damages the image of the teaching force," it said.

The document requires the education of teachers' ethics to be included in normal school courses and teachers' pre-work training.

"Teachers' ethical performance should be a prerequisite to promotion," and those who fail an appraisal will be vetoed in any assessment, promotion and professional title evaluation, it said.

An effective platform for complaints should be set up in order to eliminate any violation of ethics, said Xu Tao, director of the ministry's teachers' department.

The ministry will publish punishments for middle and primary school teachers violating professional ethics.

Those who cross the red line will be given a warning, receive a demerit, demoted, removed from their teaching post or dismissed based on each circumstance, and those suspected of committing crimes will be transferred to judicial authorities, according to the ministry.

"We'll not condone any violation of teachers' ethics," Xu said.

Teachers' ethics awards should be created to exemplify outstanding figures, according to the ministry.

The document requires local educational authorities and schools to establish respective and detailed rules to correspond the national evaluation system, based on different local conditions.