Progress updates
On 19 June 2024, the Victorian Government released its response to the Board of Inquiry, accepting all recommendations. Work is now underway to implement these important reforms.
The information below outlines the implementation progress of the Victorian Government reforms. We'll keep updating this information until all recommendations are in place.
Establishment of the Forum for Truth and Recognition
The Victorian Government has established the Forum for Truth and Recognition as an independent forum for victim-survivors of historical child sexual abuse in all Victorian Government schools and certain other schools, to share their experiences and contribute to the public record. Ms Angela Connors has been appointed as Chair of this Forum.
The Forum is an important step in making sure the voices of all victim-survivors of historical abuse in government schools are heard. The forum will also inform future prevention and policy efforts to ensure the mistakes of the past are never repeated.
The Forum is now inviting participants to share their experiences.
A final report will be provided to the Government in May 2026.
For further information on the Forum including how to participate, visit: Forum for Truth and Recognition.
Systemic review of historical child sexual abuse matters
Along with the Forum for Truth and Recognition, the Department of Education has begun a systemic review based on civil claims records and other disclosures to examine patterns of offending and institutional failings.
The systemic review will deliver a report incorporating data and analysis, observations and lessons learnt about historical child sexual abuse in government schools regarding patterns of offending and failures to prevent, detect or respond to abuse.
Ms Julia Griffith has been appointed as Independent Monitor to ensure the systemic review is conducted in accordance with the Terms of Reference. A final report will be provided to the Minister for Education by 31 March 2026.
Memorial acknowledging historical sexual abuse in Beaumaris Primary School
Following extensive research and consultation on memorialisation, the Department of Education is undertaking a co-design process for the location and form of a memorial acknowledging historical child sexual abuse at Beaumaris Primary School.
The Department has engaged expert independent facilitators to work with victim-survivors from Beaumaris Primary School, their loved ones, and other affected community members to determine the location, physical form and final design of the memorial.
The Department would like to thank all former students, oved ones and other community members, currently working with us on this important co-design process – for their time, generosity, and care for both former and current students.
Consistent policy guidance for schools on memorials
The Department of Education has consulted with victim-survivors, schools, and other relevant community members to develop policy guidance that will apply to requests for memorials acknowledging historical child sexual abuse in Victorian government schools.
Based on feedback from schools and victim-survivors, the content on memorials forms part of a broader new policy to support principals respond to disclosure and reports of historical child sexual abuse at their schools.
This new policy and guidance was published in December 2025 and is publicly available for Victorian government schools on the Department of Education’s Policy and Advisory Library.
Restorative Engagement Program
The Board of Inquiry identified restorative engagement as best practice for supporting victim-survivors to safely share their experience of child sexual abuse and receive a meaningful personal acknowledgement from a senior representative from the Department of Education through a structured process.
In response, the department consulted with victim-survivors, academics, industry experts and others with experience in coordinating, facilitating and delivering redress programs for victim-survivors of abuse.
In December 2025 the Department launched a personal acknowledgement and apology process for victim-survivors of child sexual abuse in Victorian government schools who wish to engage in a restorative process directly with the department, without the need to apply for the National Redress Scheme or engage in a legal claim.
The personal acknowledgement will be facilitated by experienced, trauma-informed practitioners, who are independent of the department, and guided by principles of doing no further harm, working collaboratively with people, and restoring relationships.
For more information, see Personal acknowledgment and apologies for victim-survivors.
Improvements to information access and records management
The Department of Education has made substantial progress on collecting and cataloguing school records, and digitising historic records, to support ease of access. Trauma-informed training has been delivered to all records archivists and staff in Freedom of Information and other relevant units.
The Department is on track to publish a website providing public information on finding school records held by the department, as well as how to request access to them, by the end of 2025.
Online hub and telephone line
The Department of Education established the Report sexual abuse if you’re a current or former student website and telephone line in July 2023 for victim-survivors of child sexual abuse in government schools to access initial assistance and support.
The website has since undergone a significant redesign, in consultation with victim-survivors and advocates, to improve victim-survivor access to information and support specific to their needs. It includes information on counselling supports, reporting, seeking compensation, personal acknowledgement and apologies, accessing school records and more.
Access to tailored support and service responses for adult victim-survivors of child sexual abuse
The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) is working with Sexual Assault Services Victoria (SASVic), the peak body for specialist sexual assault support services, on consultation to inform the design of a coordination, navigation and advocacy function for adult victim-survivors of child sexual abuse. The coordination, navigation and advocacy function, to be piloted in two locations, is being designed to complement supports already provided by existing specialist sexual assault services and will seek to enhance collaboration across service systems to better coordinate timely access to support.
DFFH is also working with SASVic to consider options to support timely access to specialist sexual assault services and to review and update public-facing information on sexual assault support services to grow awareness that services are available for and responsive to people of all genders.
Legislative reform to protect personal information provided in future boards of inquiry
The Victorian Government is analysing options for legislative reform for protection of records shared with boards of inquiry and other types of inquiries established under the Inquiries Act 2014.
Apology to victim-survivors of historical child sexual abuse in Victorian government schools
The Victorian Government will formally apologise to all victim-survivors, secondary victims and communities affected by historical child sexual abuse in government schools in Parliament. This apology will be delivered after the Forum for Truth and Recognition and the Department of Education Systemic Review have both reported publicly, to ensure the apology is informed by these fundamental processes.
Consultation with victim-survivors on the other reforms currently being implemented across Government have already provided valuable and profound insights that will help shape an apology in Parliament, with further consultation on the apology still to occur.
Community consultations
The Victorian Government recognises that talking to, and deeply listening to victim-survivors, their families, and affected communities is key to implementing these reforms successfully. We are committed to ensuring that their voices are heard and that all community members who want to be involved are able to participate in a safe and inclusive way.
Some key consultation activities have included:
- The establishment of a new Restorative Engagement and Support team within the Department of Education to plan and implement a structured, supportive consultation process that will underpin implementation of a number of the reforms arising from the Board of Inquiry’s recommendations. This team is responsible for Recommendations 2, 4, and 6, and the ongoing implementation of both the Restorative Engagement Program (Recommendation 4), and the online hub and telephone line (Recommendation 6).
- The formation of a Community Reference Group, including members with lived and living experience of child sexual abuse in Victorian government schools, as well as sector advocates, providers and experts, to inform the broad range of consultation and co-design activities.
- Conducting an anonymous survey on the Engage Victoria website to help understand community views about several of the Board of Inquiry’s recommendations. The insights and experiences shared through this process have informed the department’s implementation of these recommendations and progress towards meaningful and enduring reform within the education system. For more information, see the final report on the Engage Victoria platform.
- Hosting a range of in-person community consultations with victim-survivors and their loved ones or former classmates impacted by historical sexual abuse at Beaumaris Primary School to understand what a process towards acknowledgement and a memorial might mean to them.
- Individual meetings and conversations between the Department of Education and people with lived experience expertise and other expertise to help inform and shape the Department of Education’s implementation of the reforms they are responsible for.
Stay informed or register your interest in participating
The Department of Education would like to thank all those who have contributed to our consultation processes and played a critical role in shaping the implementation of the reforms recommended by the Board of Inquiry.
In 2026, the Department will be commencing consultation with victim-survivors, loved ones and affected members of the community to inform the Victorian Government’s apology in Parliament.
For more information on the implementation progress of the Board of Inquiry recommendations, or to register your interest in contributing to the consultation on the apology, contact the Department of Education’s Restorative Engagement and Support team (REST):
- Phone: 03 8688 7833
- Mobile: 0473 847 503
- Email: rest@education.vic.gov.au.
Provide feedback
If you have any feedback about what is on this page or if you need more information or support please email the Department of Education’s Restorative Engagement and Support team at rest@education.vic.gov.au.
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