Parents who complain are defamed, discredited and vilified by the DET in order to cover up complaints

There has been a lot of interest lately in relation to Education staff being defamed on websites and being bullied and defamed by parents and students.

In the interest of fairness I believe that some focus should also be placed on bullying and defamation by Education Staff directed at parents and/or students.

As many of you know in early 2003 I had cause to make some formal complaints in relation my children's education and treatment by education staff and that amongst other things included the manner that their Opportunity Class and Selective High school applications were handled and dealt with.  The allegations included allegations of bias, bullying, neglect, victimisation, vilification, and manipulation and tampering of state records. These issues came about following certain 'incidents' that occured that involved my children after I made some public and formal complaints about the neglect of the education of intellectually gifted children.  Documents received under FOI showed clear evidence of bias, tampering and manipulation.  

As can be see on the post headed Process of Administrative Cover up http://jolandachallita.typepad.com/education/2009/08/the-process.html , the Minister for Education at the time, Mr. Refshauge ordered an investigation into our families allegations by way of a letter dated 6 August 2003.  In his letter the Minister stated that an investigation would be commenced and I would be contacted in relation to the investigation.  In January 2004 after receiving further evidence to support our allegations and, as we had still not been contacted in relation the investigation, I wrote a further letter to Mr. Refshauge.  My letter was ignored.  During this time I was unable to speak to anybody independant about my complaints or get any information in relation to where the investigation ordered by Mr. Refshauge was at.  The fact that a formal investigation was promised and had not occurred was noted in emails and file notes  produced under FOI including in internal emails from the Audit Director of the DET.

After years of being ignored, messed about and further bullying, neglect and victimisation being aimed at our children and family I requested further documents under FOI.  In these documents we found evidence that showed that the person against whom we had made the allegations against had presented since early 2004, in emails, Submissions and documents that I had been deemed vexatious and that the Minister had ordered that correspondence from me be filed away without response.  This was a lie.  This came as a complete shock to us as we had not received any notification that I had been deemed vexatious nor was I ever told by the Minister that my correspondence would be filed away.  What I was told by the Minister for Education was that my allegations would be formally investigated and that I would be contacted in relation to the investigation.  

I requested under FOI evidence of the process used to deem me vexatious  Email from P Cribb 13 Aug 07 .  I was advised in March 2008 by letter from DET 25 March 2008  (see page 2 and 3) that I had never been deemed vexatious by the Minister or by the DET but that the Minister had put my name on a 'list' for which correspondence was not responded to DET List of correspondents to not respond - undated.  

I had never been told by the Minster that he had put my name on this list, on the contrary his letter to me stated that a formal investigation would be commenced and that I would be contacted in relation to the investigation.  Documents produced under FOI show that the person against whom allegations had been made put my name on this list.  It is also  presented as fact in submissions and emails that I had been deemed vexatious and this lie was passed on as a fact internally by the person against whom allegations were made and has worked to defame me and discredit me and influenced how people viewed our complaint and had allowed for the complaint to be filed away without investigation - putting children at risk of harm.

It was also stated in submissions that the allegations had been investigated and the DET's officers cleared of any misconduct.  This statement was repeated many times and is not true.  No investigation took place and I have clear evidence by way of internal file notes and emails that clearly states that the Minister for Education ordered an investigation but no investigation took place, instead the person whom we alleged was bullying, vilifying and victimising our family spread lies and just closed the complaint.

Many would think that all I would have to do is to show people in positions of power the evidence but the problem is that nobody will actually look at the evidence and, as I have been put on a list by the person against whom allegations have been made, and my reputation has been ruined, my correspondence gets filed away.

I have attempted to have the records Amended to reflect the truth but the DET refuses to amend the records and the Administrative Decisions Tribunal has indicated that they do not have the Jurisdiction to deal with the type of matters that we present ie- bias, corruption and fraud.  I have attempted to see a Solicitor but they say that the DET has a bottom less pitt of money and that they will just drag it through the courts until they destroy you.  I have tried local MP's and have been either ignored or told that they do not have the power or resources to help.  I have tried the Ombudsman who just contacted the person whom we alleged is responsible and just accepted her lies, despite the evidence clearly not supporting what she says and refused to investigate the complaint.  Even fresh allegations involving my other children are ignored.   I tried ICAC who said that they have a lack of funding and resources and they only focus on matters that involve money.

So lies remain on my file, my children endured years of neglect, bullying, victimisation, manipulation of their test scores and school applications, vilification, opression and humiliation. my reputation has been ruined, people think that the DET must have investigated because Policy says that they should it and I must be vexatious.  The failure of the DET to deal properly and fairly with the complaint has worked to further discredit us as people believe that if there was any truth in anything that we say that something would have been done about it.  LIttle do they know that bullies are protected in the DET and best interest of the child is not their concern.

Comments

[Pete]

I'm a bit skeptical of your claims, and think there's two sides to the story which you fail to show. I'm imagining some slight was blown out of all proportion, which is the usual way of these things. I'm sure no-one's blameless: people are people.

Okay Pete, I am happy to answer your questions. Ask away, what is it that you think happened or that we did that would justify what has been done? What people do not realise is that the system relies on people automatically thinking that the parent must have done something. I am willing to answer any question you may have.

[Harry Heidelberg]

Hi Jolanda. Have you decided to put this issue to bed now? It seems not much new activity.

Hi Harry.

No I haven't. I am just waiting for the right time as there has been an injustice and it needs to be dealt with. At the moment they have set up a group of people, most related by marriage or friendship and they pass complaints to each other and copy each others responses but there will be change and there are many avenues that I have not yet pursued. I will not stop until the DET deals with this matter as per policy and procedure require. That Policy of course is the Complaint Policy not of course the Cover up Policy.

There are also people employed by the DET in positions of power who are abusing their power and bullying, neglecting and victimizing children and parents and they need to be removed from their positions. Schools are a reflection of the DET, bullying is rife in schools because the DET is run by bullies.

As adults it is our responsibility to make sure that children are safe. I will not stop until this matter is properly and fairly resolved.

[Diddles]

Oh this story is just so familiar. Coverup is rife in the NSW DET.

Hi Diddles. Yes coverups, bullying and corruption is rife in the NSW DET. Eventually the true extent of what is going on in the DET will be exposed but while they are allowed to close complaints or investigate themselves without avenue for question or challenge innocent children will continue to be targeted and many will suffer.

[Robert]

Students Exams
Thousands of pupils sat exams on papers which mistakenly had the answers on the back - but astonishingly students will not have to resit the tests. The problem was only spotted after teachers noticed the mistake on the paper. "It is unlikely that any of the 12,000 students sitting the examination would have recognised the value of the information in the copyright statement on the paper and subsequently used it.

Best Education

Hi Robert.

Definitely the integrity of the Education system is being compromised. When you have a system of dealing with issues or complaints that involves just making excuses and covering up (so as to protect their reputation) things can only ever go backwards.