Victorian school principals raise concerns over legal document promising protection from child abuse

AUSTRALIA
ABC News

By Tim Lamacraft

All Catholic, independent and government schools in Victoria have until the end of September to confirm they are compliant with a new code of conduct that is designed to prevent child abuse.

To prove their compliance, school principals and school council presidents must sign a statutory declaration, something that a group of principals have told the ABC they were opposed to.

“I suppose why principals are objecting is because it’s the first time ever we’ve been asked to sign a legal document attesting to our compliance, or at least our intent to be compliant,” Anne Gawith, principal of Dimboola Memorial Secondary College, told PM.

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