St Patrick’s College will be the first Victorian secondary school to introduce the “gold standard” Keeping Them Safe program.
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Principal John Crowley said it would ensure the entire school community worked together on child protection in the wake of the Royal Commission into Institutionalised Child Sex Abuse Ballarat hearings.
Paedophile priests named in the royal commission hearings taught at St Patrick’s College during the 1970s and 1980s.
He said it was also part of the Victorian government’s new child safety standards that need to be introduced by August 1.
“We have to change the way certain things are done to ensure protection of children is at the forefront of everything we do,” Mr Crowley said.
He said the school had worked with clergy sex abuse survivors, particularly Peter Blenkiron, on how the school could ensure it was “gold standard around child protection”.
“We had the conversation that we’re required to be leaders in this area and we continually came back to the Keeping Them Safe program operating in South Australia.
“It’s world standard child protection curriculum.”
Mr Crowley said the Ballarat Catholic Education Office had supported them to be the first Victorian school to introduce the program.
It will involve staff being trained in four focus areas: the right to be safe; relationships; responsibility; and reporting abuse and protective strategies.
“It’s about ensuring all the students and staff are aware of recognising and reporting abuse if it happens.
“We’re really excited that we’re the state leaders, along with St Alipius Primary School, in this too.”
Mr Crowley said he expected other Victorian schools would be monitoring the program and its success.
“Our history has been well documented but St Patrick’s College today is an incredibly safe place to be educated.”
“We will meet the government benchmark and lift it five notches.
“It calls on the contribution of all members of the community for child protection – student, parents and staff.
“They will all be looking for signs.”
Mr Crowley also praised the work of Mr Blenkiron, who has been working hard behind the scenes to have the program introduced in Ballarat schools.
“He’s a wonderfully generous man.”