Victorian Institute of Teaching

What types of complaints can you make?

You can complain to VIT if you are concerned about the professional conduct, competence, or suitability of a teacher who is registered (or was registered at the time of the conduct) in Victoria. VIT can investigate conduct that happens inside or outside school, and even outside Victoria, if it raises concerns about the person’s fitness to teach.

Types of complaints VIT handles:

• Serious misconduct: behaviour that is abusive, exploitative, criminal, or a serious breach of trust.
• Misconduct: unprofessional or inappropriate behaviour, such as repeated boundary issues or disrespectful treatment of students, parents, or colleagues.
• Serious incompetence: a sustained inability to perform teaching duties safely or effectively, even after support or feedback.
• Not fit to teach: behaviour (at school or outside school) showing a teacher lacks the character or judgement to hold registration.
• Physical or mental impairment: unmanaged health or substance issues that make the teacher unsafe or unable to perform their role.
• Criminal offences:
  • Category A: very serious offences (e.g. child abuse, rape, murder, serious drug trafficking). Registration is usually suspended automatically.
  • Category B: other serious offences (e.g. assault, family violence, fraud) that may affect suitability to teach.
• Category C conduct: concerning behaviour that may not be criminal but damages confidence in the teacher’s professionalism (e.g. formal disciplinary action by an employer).
• Working With Children Check exclusion: if a teacher has been excluded from holding a WWCC, they usually cannot continue teaching.
• Employer disciplinary action: suspension, demotion, or termination that suggests the teacher has not met professional standards.

Time limits:

• There are no strict time limits on complaints.
• VIT can accept historical complaints, including those many years old, if the person was registered (or had permission to teach) at the time.
• Older matters may be harder to investigate, but VIT takes them seriously, especially if they involve child safety or serious misconduct.

VIT cannot investigate complaints if:

• The person is not a registered teacher or permission-to-teach holder.
• The matter is about schools, school policies, or management (e.g. timetables, curriculum, class sizes).
• The complaint relates only to employment issues (e.g. unfair dismissal, pay disputes).
• The issue is about discrimination, human rights, or privacy – these go to other complaint bodies.
• The behaviour is unrelated to teaching and does not raise concerns about fitness to teach.
• The matter is already before a court or tribunal, or was dismissed by police without new evidence.
• The same complaint has already been investigated by VIT and no new, significant information is available.
• The complaint is frivolous, vexatious, or malicious.

VIT can decide whether or not to investigate a complaint, based on:

• The seriousness of the behaviour.
• Whether another body (e.g. police, employer, court) is already dealing with the matter.
• Whether the complaint has enough detail to investigate.
• Whether the employer has already taken action that addresses the issue.
• Whether older conduct still affects the teacher’s current fitness to teach.

Who can you make a complaint against?

You can only complain to VIT about individual teachers who are registered or authorised by VIT. This includes:

• Registered teachers: fully registered to teach in Victorian schools or approved education settings.
• Provisionally registered teachers: early-career teachers working towards full registration.
• Non-practising teachers: teachers who have paused their careers but remain on the VIT register and must still follow professional standards.
• Permission to Teach (PTT) holders: people not fully qualified but granted limited approval by VIT to teach in specific roles or subjects.
• Early childhood teachers: registered by VIT to work in early childhood services (full, provisional, or non-practising).
• Teachers with interim or temporary approval: those granted temporary registration while awaiting a full decision, subject to the same standards as other teachers.

VIT does not deal with complaints about:

• Unregistered people: e.g. tutors, school support staff, contractors, or aides.
• Teachers only registered elsewhere: teachers registered in another state or country but not with VIT.
• Principals or centre directors who are not registered teachers: unless they also hold VIT registration.
• Schools, early learning services, or organisations: VIT only regulates individual teachers, not institutions or policies.
• Former teachers who were never VIT registered: e.g. those who left the profession before registration became mandatory.
• People falsely claiming to be teachers: while this is an offence, VIT cannot investigate under teacher conduct laws.

Are you eligible to make a complaint?

Who can complain?

• Anyone can make a complaint to VIT.
• You don’t need to live in Victoria, work in education, or be directly affected by the teacher’s conduct.

Before you complain:

• You don’t have to raise the issue with the teacher, school, or employer first.
• VIT may consider whether the issue has already been addressed elsewhere (e.g. police, Department of Education) before deciding how to proceed.

Making a complaint for someone else:

• You can complain on behalf of someone else (e.g. a child, student, family member, or colleague).
• If you act for an adult, VIT may ask for written consent to share information.
• No written authority is needed if:
  • the person is a child or vulnerable, or
  • you are reporting general concerns or risks.

Other important points:

• You don’t need to be directly involved to raise concerns. VIT accepts third-party or whistleblower complaints, including anonymous ones.
• Anonymous complaints are allowed, but they may limit what VIT can do or whether they can update you on the outcome.
• If you make a complaint in good faith, you are legally protected. Your identity is generally kept confidential, unless the law requires disclosure (such as in court).

What can this body do to help?

If VIT finds that a teacher’s conduct, competence, or suitability to teach is in question, it can take a range of actions to protect students and uphold professional standards.

Possible outcomes:

• Conditions on registration: the teacher must meet requirements (like training, counselling, or supervision) to remain registered.
• Caution: a formal warning about the teacher’s behaviour, often used for less serious matters.
• Reprimand: a stronger statement of disapproval, used where conduct falls seriously below expectations.
• Suspension of registration: the teacher cannot teach for a period of time, sometimes until conditions (like counselling) are met.
• Cancellation of registration: the teacher’s registration is ended. They cannot teach in Victoria unless reapplication is allowed later.
• Disqualification from reapplying: the teacher is banned from applying for registration or permission to teach for a set period.
• Automatic cessation of registration: registration or permission to teach ends immediately if a teacher is convicted of certain serious (“Category A”) offences or excluded from holding a Working With Children Check.
• Automatic disqualification: the teacher is banned from teaching in any Victorian school or early childhood service if they are convicted of a Category A offence or excluded from holding a WWCC.
• Referral to a medical panel: if health or impairment issues are suspected, VIT can refer the case to assess the teacher’s fitness to practise.
• No further action: VIT may decide no action is required if the teacher is found fit to teach and no breach is proven.

VIT’s powers are limited to regulating teachers. It cannot:

• Award compensation or damages to students, families, or schools.
• Force a teacher to apologise or meet with the complainant.
• Hire, fire, or reinstate a teacher in their job (this is up to employers).
• Change school policies, curriculum, resourcing, or class arrangements.
• Issue protective orders (like restraining orders) – only courts can do this.
• Override decisions made by police, the Department of Education, schools, or courts.
• Prosecute criminal matters – only police or child protection can do that.
• Ban someone from working in other professions outside teaching.

How to prepare your complaint:

When preparing your complaint, make sure you clearly set out:

• Your details: full name and contact information (unless anonymous).
• The teacher’s details: full name, workplace, role, and any other identifying info.
• What happened: with dates, times, locations, and people involved.
• Impact: how the conduct affected you or others (e.g. harm, distress, disruption).
• Steps already taken: if you reported it to the school, police, or elsewhere.
• What you are seeking: if you have an outcome in mind.

You can attach supporting material (documents, screenshots, reports, witness accounts).

Anonymous complaints are accepted, but VIT may not be able to investigate fully without details, and you won’t receive updates unless you provide contact information.

What not to include:

• False or misleading statements.
• Abusive or offensive language.
• Irrelevant details not connected to the teacher’s conduct.

Lodging your complaint and next steps:

How to lodge:

• Online form: VIT complaint form.
• By post: Victorian Institute of Teaching, Feedback and Complaints, PO BOX 531, Collins Street West VIC 8007.
• By phone: 1300 888 067 (staff can record your complaint).
• In person: Level 9, 628 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000.

Acknowledgement:

• If you provide contact details, you’ll usually receive confirmation within a few days and be updated as the matter progresses.
• Anonymous complaints can’t be acknowledged or updated.

What happens next:

1. Preliminary assessment: VIT checks jurisdiction (is the person a registered teacher? is the conduct serious enough?).
2. Investigation: VIT may gather information from the teacher, employer, or others.
3. Referral to a panel or hearing: if formal action may be required.
4. Decision: outcomes can include caution, reprimand, conditions, suspension, or cancellation of registration.

Other things to know:

• Keep a copy of your complaint and attachments.
• Give full details at the start to avoid delays.
• The teacher will usually be notified if the complaint progresses.
• Updates may be limited due to confidentiality requirements.

More information:

Refer to the factsheet provided below for more information.