NSW parliament report card gives Redeemer Baptist School an F

The NSW parliamentary committee findings that Redeemer Baptist School made teachers share beds with students, did not pay staff and misused government funding are an indictment of governments and departments charged with looking after the welfare of children.

As shocking as these findings are, they are also a reminder that parents considering non-government, faith-based schools must do their homework. In the booming private/non-government schools system, which has ballooned in the past few decades, schools are free to follow all sorts of faith practices, and the oversight is not as thorough as families might think.

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) undertakes random inspections, or inspects schools in response to complaints, but doesn’t have the resources to monitor schools comprehensively.

Authorities have been aware of the North Parramatta school’s problematic record since 1981, when the then-Department of Youth and Community Services banned the Redeemer Baptist Community from caring for children in substitute care. More recently, there were allegations of 15 risks of significant harm notifications involving students from 2004 onwards.

But nothing substantial happened. The school sailed on, a private/non-government schools exemplar that achieved high academic results and asked low fees.

It was not until June, when a joint investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes found Redeemer had placed children at risk of significant harm and was not merely a strict religious school, but “something more insidious, an environment marked by control, surveillance, and rigid discipline”, that political attention was attracted.

The upper house inquiry heard from dozens of witnesses including former students and teachers.

The NSW parliamentary committee referred Redeemer to the police, the Australian Taxation Office, Services Australia and the Office of the Children’s Guardian for urgent investigation into allegations it covered up child sexual assault, forced labour of staff, and tax and welfare fraud.

The politicians were also critical of the school regulator, NESA, and urged it to freeze all new enrolments at Redeemer while it investigates what the report called severe child safeguard breaches, including students sharing beds with teachers while on mandatory school camps, and children being forced to eat food to the point of vomiting.

Students at Redeemer had parents in the church who chose the school because of its values, and possibly knew what to expect. But many parents were outsiders and chose the school based on attributes such as exam results and discipline. They would have had no idea of its approach until their children lived it.

The committee was critical of the school for not having anyone appear at the inquiry, despite multiple invitations and a summons attempt. The school cited upcoming HSC exams for its lack of availability.

No parent would want the sort of treatment meted out by the school for their children.

Parents expect that a school registered with NESA would adhere to standards. But Redeemer has flouted so many criteria that the plethora of legal and welfare investigations likely to result from the parliamentary inquiry make it difficult to see the school continuing in its current guise.

It appears Redeemer was allowed to get away with its substandard behaviour partly because of the failures of the regulator. The inquiry’s report has recommended NESA review and strengthen its regulatory and school registration processes to ensure it has sufficient oversight of schools and student wellbeing.

This must happen as a matter of urgency, and NESA must be given the resources to do it.

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