• Complaints about

  • - Training providers
  • - Registered schools
  • - Universities/higher education providers
  • - Overseas students providers

• Making a complaint

  • - To a provider
  • - To VRQA
  • - To an external organisation
• VRQA complaints handling process

Home > Complaints > Schools complaints

Complaints about Registered Schools

On this page:

• What can I complain about?
• Will the VRQA investigate my complaint?
• I want to complain about a government school. What should I do?

Other relevant  page on this website: What actions can the VRQA take against providers? 

 
The VRQA investigates complaints about Victorian non-government schools, primary and secondary.

The VRQA cannot investigate complaints about government schools. To find out how to make a complaint against a government school see Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

What can I complain about?

Complaints can be about the quality of education at a school, including its facilities, curriculum and assessment. You can also complain about how the school handles safety, welfare or discipline issues.

If the school is registered for overseas students, you can also complain about issues that affect overseas students. 

Complaints the VRQA CAN investigate

Complaints the VRQA CAN’T investigate

the school’s curriculum its buildings, facilities and grounds the care, safety and welfare of students how the school handles incidences of bullying and harassment by students how the school assesses students and reports on their progress how the school handles complaints and appeals the school’s discipline policy the school’s compliance with relevant legislation (for example Working with Children, OH&S) any other potential breach of the Minimum Standards for School Registration. (PDF - 159Kb)

the behaviour, quality or qualifications of a teacher at the school. You can make a complaint about these issues to the Victorian Institute of Teaching. the school not giving you a refund the fees the school charges personal disputes between staff and students employment issues (for example staff pay and conditions). However, there are other government agencies that may be able to handle these types of complaints.

Will the VRQA investigate my complaint?

When the VRQA registers a school, we require the school to comply with the Minimum Standards for School Registration (PDF - 159Kb) 

The VRQA will therefore consider your complaint if you are alleging that the school has breached these minimum standards.

We are particularly likely to investigate if you can provide evidence that the problem is serious, widespread or long-standing.

In addition, the VRQA:

• must investigate those complaints it is required to investigate under Part 8 of the Education and Training Reform Regulations
• does not have to investigate a complaint about an issue that happened more than 12 months ago
• does not have to investigate a complaint that is not made in writing
• can refuse to investigate a complaint on the grounds that it is trivial, frivolous or without substance.

You should also be aware that, while the VRQA may be able to investigate your complaint, we may not be able to take the kind of action you want. For more information, see Complaints - Actions the VRQA can take.

Next: How to make a complaint

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