A parliamentary inquiry into western Sydney’s Redeemer Baptist School has recommended it be prohibited from enrolling new students amid widespread allegations of misconduct.
The report, tabled in the New South Wales state parliament on Tuesday, details accounts provided by former students and teachers about a range of disturbing incidents including students being required to share beds with teachers and the principal wandering naked through common areas.
Child Safeguarding Breaches
The committee found that the school breached basic child safeguarding standards. It concluded that sexual assault allegations were not handled appropriately, placing children at significant risk of harm.
Lack of Workplace Rights and Governance Failures
Staff members at the school lacked essential workplace rights, and the institution failed to meet fundamental standards of good governance according to the inquiry’s findings.
Regulatory Oversight Gaps
The report criticized a lack of oversight from education authorities and other regulators. Among the matters flagged for investigation are persistent Centrelink fraud and questionable tax practices by the school.
In its statement before parliament, committee chair Abigail Boyd noted that the school had been subjected to parliamentary scrutiny in 2006 but no effective procedures were established to monitor what she described as a 'high-risk situation'.
Boyd emphasized that it was only through the bravery of former students and staff who spoke out that sufficient evidence emerged for strong findings and recommendations. She said leaving the school often meant losing all financial assets, which contributed to survivors’ fear of their abusers.
The school receives approximately $6 million annually from government funding and has previously claimed an unblemished record of compliance with state and federal regulators over 45 years.
The school’s spokesperson stated at the time of reporting that the institution had fully cooperated with relevant regulatory bodies.“Redeemer Baptist School takes its child safety obligations extremely seriously and has an unblemished record of compliance with state and federal regulators for 45 years,” the spokesperson said. The school did not immediately respond to a request for comment following the report's release.