AUSTRALIA
The Age
February 25, 2015
Henrietta Cook, Jane Lee
Victorian schools will be deregistered if they don’t have policies to manage child abuse risks and respond to allegations.
Education Minister James Merlino will order all schools to have policies that meet minimum child safety standards or risk having their registration suspended or cancelled, following a recommendation from the Victorian inquiry into child sexual abuse,
The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority will also be given new powers to conduct “quick and targeted” reviews to ensure schools meet their obligations.
But the child safe standards for schools have not yet been developed – the Department of Education will begin consultations with stakeholders in coming weeks.
Mr Merlino said the reforms would prompt every school to look at what they could do to reduce the risk of child abuse.
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