“Instead of acknowledging and correcting the complete inadequacy of adult supervision in boarding houses, the school appears to be shifting focus onto students, as if they alone bear the responsibility for perpetuating this culture,” the parents wrote.
“This is both unfair and dangerous.
“These students, now facing scrutiny, have been acting on learned behaviours ingrained by the very system that the school put in place and failed to reform.
“The responsibly lies squarely with the staff and administration.
“It is not the students who are to blame, it is those who had the power to stop this cycle and chose not to.”
But two sources close to the parent community, who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivities around the matter, told The Age that parents of alleged victims remained unhappy at what they perceived as the lenient treatment of the senior students.
Families of those accused of strapping, meanwhile, believed their sons had been treated harshly, the sources confirmed, and continued to actively lobby for the return of the off-campus group to Dart House.
Loading
Ballarat Grammar declined to answer questions on the status of those boys.
“Ballarat Grammar has a policy of not disclosing information about individuals; this is in line with Australian Privacy Principles,” a spokesperson said.
Victoria Police confirmed that its investigation was “ongoing”, and the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority, responsible for enforcing child safety standards in educational establishments, also confirmed that it continued to investigate but would not provide details, citing procedural fairness.
Private security guards have been hired to patrol the halls of Dart House at night, in a major break with tradition at the school, which traces its history back more than a century and where boarders have always been left to supervise themselves overnight.
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
Read the full article here
