Police investigate WA teacher over child safety matter

Perth Now reported that police are investigating a complaint made against a teacher at a Western Australian school over a child safety matter. The alleged incident was reported to the Catholic Education Office of WA (CEOWA) on 22 January. Executive director of CEOWA Tim McDonald said Catholic Education in WA was underpinned by ‘extensive child protection policies and procedures’ and support had been offered to all parties involved.

Melbourne school denies discussing sexual preferences with students

A Melbourne school has issued a statement of denial following a parent’s threat to remove her children from the school. The mother alleged that the school was teaching ‘dangerous’ and ‘age inappropriate’ content about gender dysmorphia after a science teacher at the school had announced that if boys identified as female they could wear dresses and use the female toilets. Nine News reported that the school’s statement denies the claims, reiterating that the school does not discuss sexual preferences with students and advocates acceptance of diversity.

Victorian principal risks jail to speak out about asylum seeker students

The Age reports that the principal of a school in Melbourne’s north has said he was prepared to risk jail by speaking out about the plight of three asylum seeker students at his school who are waiting to be flown back to Nauru. The principal is responsible for the students when they attend the multicultural school, and said it was one of the few places where they feel like normal kids. He said that ‘it is about time that we showed a bit of compassion for these young people.’

NSW school bus driver blows four times legal limit

NSW Police have said that they averted a potential disaster after a school bus driver was caught more than four times the legal alcohol limit. ABC News reportsthat the 55-year-old man recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.09 when he was breath tested by police on his way to pick up school children. The limit for professional drivers, including bus drivers, is 0.02.

Teacher used fake documents to hide criminal past

Victorian prosecutors allege a man taught maths for 10 years at four schools in Victoria after using inaccurate identity documents to become registered. The man was employed at multiple schools across Victoria, South Australian and the Northern Territory between 2005 and 2015. The Herald Sun reports that the man is accused of obtaining about $250,000 by deception after using a falsified birth certificate and other documents to pass various background checks.

Forty year exodus from public to private schools ends

According to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics the long-running exodus from public schools to the non-government sector has halted, with the proportion of Australian students in public schools increasing for the first time in forty years. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Trevor Cobbold, national convenor of the public school lobby group Save our Schools, attributes the shift to historically low wage growth and media coverage given to studies questioning the educational benefits of private schooling.

Melbourne school accused of ‘whitewashing’ black history

The Age reports that a Melbourne student has accused her school of “whitewashing” black history over a decision to adapt Hairspray – a popular musical about racial discrimination – despite having a mostly white cast. The student has launched a petition to have the musical production cancelled due to a lack of cultural diversity in the music department saying ‘if the musical goes on, they would have to change aspects to fit in with their cast, which is marginalising black history and culture, or they will have white people portray coloured people, and that is not okay’.

Resources running out, Victorian principals warn

The Educator reported that a new survey reveals the majority of Victorian government school principals are facing a severe shortage of resources for students with special needs. The annual State of Our Schools survey conducted by the Australian Education Union showed that more than 70% of school funding was not targeting disadvantaged students, such as Indigenous students and those with reading and writing disabilities.