Thursday, 27 August 2026

 Moira DEEMING (Western Metropolitan) (12:10): (1447) My question is for the minister representing the Minister for Education. After failures in Victorian child care, the government’s own Rapid Child Safety Review said parents have a right to know, that parents often detect risk first and that they must understand the outcome of concerns involving their own children. In schools, the government still lets a principal decide whether a parent sees their child’s safety records; many parents often have to go through the process of an FOI. That same principal can exclude the parent from the school, while the Independent Office for School Dispute Resolution is forbidden from examining that exclusion. Why is it that principals are given the authority to remove a parent’s immediate access to information that relates directly to their children?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:11): I thank Mrs Deeming for her question for the Minister for Education. I will pass it on accordingly.

 Moira DEEMING (Western Metropolitan) (12:11): My supplementary question is: will the government extend its own principle of the parent’s right to know to Victorian schools by guaranteeing parents timely access to records concerning any injury, medical incident, psychological condition, alleged abuse or other serious safety incident involving their own children?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:11): Again I thank Mrs Deeming for her supplementary question, and I will refer it accordingly.