The Victorian Catholic Education Authority ('VCEA') oversees Catholic schools in Victoria. It manages funding, regulation, and compliance with the Minimum Standards for School Registration and the Child Safe Standards.
What types of complaints can you make?
You can make a complaint to the VCEA if it relates to a Catholic school or Catholic boarding premises in Victoria and involves a breach of the Minimum Standards for School Registration or the Child Safe Standards.
The VCEA’s role is to check whether schools are meeting these legal standards. It does not resolve personal disputes, change grades, or order schools to act in a particular way, but it may recommend improvements or refer matters to another regulator (such as the VRQA).
The VCEA will accept complaints about:
1. Breaches of the Minimum Standards for School Registration
These are legal requirements for all Victorian schools covering safety, curriculum, welfare, leadership, and facilities. You can complain if a Catholic school:
- Has missing or inadequate policies (e.g. no bullying or complaints policy)
- Uses unfair or discriminatory enrolment practices
- Fails to keep proper records of attendance or wellbeing
- Has unsafe or inaccessible facilities (buildings, ramps, hygiene, etc.)
- Fails to deliver the required curriculum or support student learning
- Acts against its published philosophy or stated values
- Has unfit or improper leadership (e.g. principal or board not acting appropriately)
- Mishandles serious complaints or incidents about safety or wellbeing
- Provides unsafe or non-compliant boarding facilities
2. Breaches of the Child Safe Standards (Ministerial Order No. 1359)
All Catholic schools must create safe environments for children. You can complain if a school:
- Fails to provide a culturally safe environment for Aboriginal students
- Has poor leadership or governance on child safety
- Discourages or ignores students speaking up about safety concerns
- Excludes families or communities from child safety processes
- Ignores the needs of students with disability, diverse cultural backgrounds, or LGBTQIA+ students
- Employs or allows unsuitable people to work with children
- Lacks clear or safe processes for reporting harm
- Does not train staff properly in child safety
- Provides unsafe physical or online environments
- Fails to regularly review or improve safety practices
- Has missing, outdated, or ignored child safety policies
The VCEA will not handle complaints about:
- Fees, payment plans, or refunds
- Suspensions, detentions, or expulsions (unless linked to safety or fairness issues)
- Student marks, grades, or teaching quality (unless it breaches curriculum standards)
- Employment or staff issues (e.g. pay, contracts, HR matters)
- Complaints made before first raising them with the school and governing authority
- Public or non-Catholic schools
- Catholic teachings or religious education content
- Student friendship or social issues, unless safety is at risk and ignored
- General dissatisfaction with how a school is run, unless it breaches standards
- Requests for money, compensation, or legal rulings
- Anonymous complaints (except where there is a serious child safety risk)
Time limits: There are no strict time limits, but raising issues early gives the best chance of a good outcome.
The VCEA can refuse or stop investigating a complaint if it is trivial, vexatious, lacking detail, or better handled by another body (e.g. Family Court or council). If so, they will notify you in writing and may refer you to the appropriate body.
Who can you make a complaint against?
You can make a complaint to the VCEA about:
- Teachers, staff, or the principal: if their actions or decisions raise concerns about compliance with the Minimum Standards or Child Safe Standards.
- Victorian Catholic schools: including all primary and secondary Catholic schools registered in Victoria.
- Victorian Catholic boarding schools: schools that provide overnight accommodation as well as regular education.
A register of Catholic schools and boarding schools covered by the VCEA is available on their website.
The VCEA will not investigate complaints about:
- Catholic schools or boarding schools outside Victoria
- Victorian government schools
- Victorian independent schools
- Clergy or religious staff at Catholic schools – these concerns should be taken to the Professional Standards Unit of the Vicar General’s Office in the Archdiocese of Melbourne
- Parents, guardians, carers, or students – unless the issue relates to the school’s compliance with the required Standards
For issues like disputes between students (e.g. bullying), you must first raise the matter directly with the school.
Are you eligible to make a complaint?
Who can make a complaint?
Anyone connected with a Victorian Catholic school or Catholic boarding school can complain to the VCEA. This includes:
- Parents, guardians, or carers of current, past, or prospective students
- Students (current, past, or prospective), including mature minors and adult students
- Advocates acting for students or families (e.g. lawyer, social worker)
- School staff
- Members of the public with concerns about compliance
Pre-requisite steps:
You must first raise the issue with the school (and its governing authority or proprietor) under the school’s complaints process. If it remains unresolved, the VCEA may then step in.
Exception: If the complaint is about the principal or the school refuses to act, the VCEA may accept the matter directly.
Complaints on behalf of someone:
Yes. You can make a complaint for another person (e.g. a parent for a student, or an advocate for a family). The VCEA may ask for consent from the person affected, unless you are legally authorised (e.g. a guardian).
The VCEA will not consider complaints from:
- Anonymous complainants: unless there is a serious safety risk or systemic issue (at VCEA’s discretion)
- People who haven’t tried the school’s process first: except where the school refuses to escalate the matter
- People acting without consent or authority: you need permission or legal standing to complain for someone else
- Complaints about employment, religious content, or interpersonal disputes: VCEA does not handle staff pay/conditions, disagreements with Catholic teachings, or personal/student conflicts unless they involve safety or compliance issues
Additional information:
The VCEA acts as a review body. It looks at whether a Catholic school or boarding premises is meeting the Minimum Standards. If issues fall outside its scope, it may refer them to the appropriate regulator.
What can this body do to help?
The VCEA does not act like a court or replace the school’s own complaints process, but it can:
- Refer you back to the school or governing authority: If you haven’t followed the school’s complaint and escalation process, the VCEA will direct you to do that first.
- Notify the VRQA: If your complaint raises serious risks to student care, safety, or welfare (including breaches of the Child Safe Standards), the VCEA will inform the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA).
- Review, assess, or investigate: The VCEA may look into the matter under its complaints policy to check whether the school is meeting its obligations.
- Recommend changes: After an investigation, the VCEA can suggest improvements to a school’s policies or procedures.
- Provide guidance and support: The VCEA can advise schools on how to strengthen their compliance and complaints handling.
- Work with other agencies: Where needed, the VCEA coordinates with regulators like the VRQA to ensure concerns are addressed.
The VCEA cannot:
- Order refunds, fee waivers, or financial compensation
- Suspend, dismiss, or discipline individual teachers or staff
- Force schools to follow its recommendations or penalise them for non-compliance
- Make legal rulings or formal findings of fault
- Replace a school’s own complaints process
- Intervene in day-to-day school operations (e.g. staffing, timetables, teaching methods)
- Investigate every complaint — it may decline matters that are out of scope, too minor, or already resolved
How to prepare your complaint:
When preparing your complaint, make sure you include enough detail for the VCEA to understand the issue clearly.
Personal details: Include your name and contact details so the VCEA can clarify information if needed.
You may lodge your complaint anonymously, but this may limit how much the VCEA can respond or investigate.
Respondent’s details: Clearly identify the school, the governing authority or proprietor, and the person you’ve been dealing with.
Relevant facts: Provide enough detail to explain:
- What happened (include dates, times, places, and people involved)
- The impact the issue has had
- Any steps you have already taken to resolve it
- Copies of any documents or correspondence
- The outcome you are seeking
What not to include: Don’t provide false or misleading information.
Other important considerations
- Be clear and focused on the issue
- Make sure you’ve checked the school’s complaints policy
- Think about what a reasonable outcome might look like
Note: The VCEA keeps personal information only for the purpose of handling your complaint, in line with its privacy policy. The service is free, and you don’t need a lawyer — but you can seek legal advice at any time.
Lodging your complaint and next steps:
Where to lodge your complaint:
- Email: secretary@vcea.catholic.edu.au
- Post:
Executive Director / Chief Executive Officer
Victorian Catholic Education Authority Ltd
PO Box 4220
Fitzroy VIC 3065
Receipt:
The VCEA aims to acknowledge complaints within 5 business days.
Initial assessment:
The VCEA will check if it is the right body to handle your complaint. If another regulator or organisation is better placed, they will give you that contact information.
Referral to the school:
If you haven’t yet used the school’s own complaints process, the VCEA will refer you back to the school or governing authority. You can come back to the VCEA if the matter isn’t resolved.
Referral to another organisation:
If another regulator (such as the VRQA) is better suited, the VCEA may make an assisted referral. They may also follow up with that body to confirm progress.
Investigations:
The VCEA can investigate if the matter is complex or serious, or if it has been referred by the VRQA. Investigations are formal and detailed. You may be asked for more information.
Outcome:
Once the matter is complete, the VCEA will tell you in writing about the outcome and any actions taken.
Other things to know:
You can ask about the progress of your complaint at any time.
More information:
Refer to the factsheet provided below for more information.
