The Independent Broad-Based Anticorruption Commission (“IBAC”) has been investigating DET for quite some time and held hearings into DET corruption in 2015 and 2016. They continue to be interested in taking complaints.
To date, investigations into corruption have largely centred on finances rather than areas such as unethical treatment of staff or the covering up of abuse of students with disabilities by DET personnel. The numerous IBAC findings and details of the hearings can be found through an Internet search.
DET has sought to remake itself in the wake of these findings and there have been a number of changes at a senior level. There is a new Manager, Fraud & Corruption Control position. There is a new Integrity and Assurance Division. Teachers and advocates have provided an opportunity for these areas to prove that they can impartially resolve complaints. The evidence to date is that they cannot. This is unsurprising as there is little evidence that organisations investigating themselves do so impartially due to the significant conflict of interest they have, and the professionalism and maturity required for an organisation to make findings against oneself.
The Integrity and Assurance Division/Fraud and Corruption Control can take months to a year to investigate anything. They liaise closely with the Legal Division. There have been no reports to date of there having been a finding against their own organisation.
The connections between the Legal Division and the FOI Unit, are disturbing. On almost every occasion when a review of documents provided through the DET FOI unit has been requested through the Office of the Victorian Information Commission, the Office finds that documents have been improperly withheld or improperly redacted. Disturbingly, evidence that assists in discrimination complaints has often conveniently been redacted without appropriate reason (according to the Office). In 2022, the DET FOI unit refused to process a request for all notes made about a child. When evidence was provided to it that they had processed many earlier requests of the exact same nature, they refused to provide a reason as to why it was refused for this parent. The refusal was made by Gavin Sturma. Surprisingly, an internal complaint was upheld by Manager Elle Maroudas.
There has been a deterioration in 2018 in every area of interface between parents of students with disabilities and DET. This includes the provision of documents, the provision of information around restraint and seclusion, investigating restraint and seclusion, provision of documents through Freedom of Information, and the watering down of DET policies to ensure that parents can obtain as little as possible.
The most disturbing corruption in the last 10 years comes around the abuse of children with disabilities in segregated schools. The DET has refused to hold independent investigations into the abuse of children at Marnebek School, Southern Autistic School, Jackson School and Latrobe Special Developmental School. The variety and number of allegations, including from DET’s own staff, has resulted in the cover up of abuse, and protection of staff involved. The DET Legal Division has facilitated the provision of false evidence being provided at the Federal Court of Australia and VCAT. Evidence from former Assistant Principal of Marnebek School Kathrine Weston and former Principal Karen Dauncey has contradicted each other, and the evidence of multiple witnesses and victims.
As of 2022, a group of 16 parents/children have made a group complaint against DET for failing to hold an independent investigation is into these four segregated schools.
As of January 2024, there has been no ethical response from DET, who are trying to strike the matter out.
Complex Matters Unit/Legal Division
Special mention should go to the Complex Matters Unit/Legal Division who write letters pretending to be other people in order that complaints about the education of children are never resolved, except after a parent takes legal action, as this unit is only concerned with the legal liability of the Department of Education, rather than children with disabilities and their welfare.
As an example, this unit has written on behalf of Anne Cunniff and Stacey Gabriel of Northwest Region, confusing the two, using their electronic signatures. Two different people from the unit without knowing what the others was doing, have also written emails on behalf of the Principal of Hampton Park Secondary College Wayne Haworth, responding to correspondence from a parent.
It is safest to assume if you have made a complaint that you are not actually dealing with people from your child’s school anymore. For confirmation, the comparison of writing styles will let you know that someone else is writing on behalf of your school contact. In addition, if you see the prolific use of the words “collaboration”, “in partnership”, “in the best interests of” or “the safety of xxxx is our highest priority”, in all likelihood you are dealing with the Complex Matters Unit. Lastly, if you use to get responses from your school in a couple of days, but now have to wait 1-3 weeks (or longer), it is likely all correspondence is going to the Complex Matters Unit.