We welcome feedback from students, families and members of the community as it helps us know what we are doing well and what we can improve.
Feedback includes compliments, complaints, and suggestions about how we can improve in the future.
How we respond to complaints
If you have a concern about your child's education or department services, we will:
- outline the process for dealing with your complaint
- provide you with any reasonable assistance to lodge your complaint
- treat you respectfully
- act impartially and objectively
- maintain confidentiality and privacy as required
- provide an indicative time for addressing your issue
- keep you informed of the progress of our inquiries
- when extended time is required provide reasons for our decision
- inform you of your rights of internal or external review.
How to provide feedback or make complaint
We run a large range of services across Victoria. Your feedback is best handled by staff who work in the relevant area.
Early childhood education and care services
Complaint about child care or early childhood education services
If you are concerned about your child's education, care or licensed children's service, you should raise your concerns with the service first. If your complaint cannot be resolved by the service, you should then raise it with the department.
Refer to: Make a complaint about child care or children's services.
Complaint about staff from the department's Quality and Regulation division
You can make a complaint about a Quality and Regulation Division (QARD) staff member or your satisfaction with the action taken by QARD.
Refer to: Make a complaint about Early Childhood Services .
Victorian government schools
Feedback about government schools or school staff
Families and community members can provide feedback to compliment the education system, school and staff or provide suggestions to assist with continuous improvement of Victorian Government schools.
Refer to: Provide feedback about government schools or school .
Complaint about government schools or school staff
School complaints start with raising the issue with the school and trying to find a resolution. If more support is required, you can raise your complaint first with your local department office, then the department's central office.
- Refer to: Raise a complaint or concern about your .
- Complex complaints may need to be resolved by the Independent Office for School Dispute .
- You can offer suggestions and compliments for your , which will be forwarded to the right person in the department or school who will benefit most.
Complaint about the Victorian school curriculum and examinations
The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) will respond to issues regarding the school curriculum, examinations, and NAPLAN.
Refer to: Complaints handling policy and .
Complaint and regulation of student exchange programs
The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA)investigates complaints against student exchange organisations.
Refer to: VRQA .
Report religious or racial discrimination
Everyone in our school community deserves to be respected, valued and treated equally. Discrimination or abuse based on religion or race is not tolerated in our school communities.
If your child has been the target of, or has witnessed, religious or racial discrimination or abuse, we encourage you to report it to your school. They will make sure appropriate action and support is provided.
Refer to: Raise a complaint or concern about your .
Independent or catholic schools
If your concern relates to a catholic school, you can contact the Catholic Education Commission of .
If your concern relates to an independent school, refer to: VRQA
TAFE and training organisations
If you have a complaint, or if you need advice or support with your training, the first step is to talk to your training provider.
If you can't resolve the issue with your training provider directly, the next step is to contact the TAFE and Training . They can give you free advice on the complaints process, and may suggest contacting an appropriate organisation that can assist you further.
Refer to: Making a
Department employees and services
Making a complaint as a member of the department
If you have a complaint, you should lodge it with your immediate manager outlining the nature of your complaint and indicating that you would like to resolve the issue. If the complaint is about your immediate manager then discuss the issue with the manager one above.
Refer to: Human Resources - complaint procedure
Report fraud or corruption
If you have knowledge or reason to believe a departmental employee, contractor or service provider has been involved in fraudulent or corrupt conduct, you should report it as a complaint or public interest disclosure.
Refer to: Human Resources - report fraud or
Offer feedback or complimenting a member of the department
If you wish to pass on general feedback or a compliment, please contact the department switchboard on (03) 9637 2000 and ask for the business area involved.
Raising privacy concerns
A privacy complaint is a concern raised about departmental processes, staff or services associated with the collection, handling or sharing of personal or health information.
If you have about concerns about how a departmental process, staff member or service and how they handled personal or health information, you can raise it with your local regional office or the department's privacy team.
Refer to: Make a privacy complaint.
Reviewed 20 December 2022