Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching has criticised the Education Ministry's move to transfer teachers accused of sex offence from one school to another.

She said while the notion of innocent until proven guilty stands, it was best such individuals are not allowed to come in close contact to students pending investigations.

Simply moving them from one school to another does not keep children safe, Teo added.

"As a precautionary measure, isn't it better to put the teacher in a district or state education office pending investigation?

"Why expose the other kids to unnecessary and avoidable risk?" she said in a statement today.