About personal acknowledgement and apologies
For some victim-survivors, receiving an acknowledgement of their personal experience and an apology from the Department of Education can be an important part of healing. Some victim-survivors may also want to hear about what the department and schools are doing now, to keep children and young people safe.
The department offers a safe and supportive way to connect directly with a senior leader from the department, and to be heard, acknowledged and recognised.
What the process involves
- Work with an experienced facilitator, who is independent of the department and understands restorative engagement principles, to figure out what’s important to you in receiving a personal acknowledgement.
- Decide whether you would like to receive an apology and acknowledgment in person, in writing, or both.
- Share your experiences with a senior leader from the department in a safe and structured environment. You can tell as much or as little as you would like.
- Receive recognition, acknowledgement and an apology. Depending on your preferences, the department representative can acknowledge and apologise for the harm you experienced and the specific impact it has had on your life.
- As part of the acknowledgement, you can learn and ask questions about steps being taken to protect children and young people today, if this is of interest to you.
Who can take part
This process is for adults who were sexually abused while they were a student at a Victorian government school, by an adult working at the school (such as a teacher, principal, other staff member, contractor, or volunteer).
Immediate family members of those students can also take part if the student has passed away.
How it works
1. Initial contact
You’ll first speak with someone from the Department of Education. We’ll explain how it works and what information we may need from you. You’ll always know what is being shared and have control over what happens next.
2. Independent facilitator
If you’re eligible, and want to continue, we’ll connect you with a trained, independent facilitator.
They’ll support you and make sure your voice is heard. They’ll help you prepare for and navigate the process with confidence. You can ask for a facilitator with particular experience or cultural/linguistic background. If you’re not comfortable with your assigned facilitator, we can arrange for a different one.
3. Planning what’s important to you
Your facilitator will help you work out what you want from an acknowledgement. This could include:
- what you’d like to say or ask
- what you would like to hear from the department leader
- how you’d prefer to engage — in person, online, or in writing
- if meeting in person, details like where, who attends, and how the meeting is run.
4. Choosing who you meet from the department
You can speak to your facilitator about any preferences for the senior department leader you’ll meet. For example, someone with experience in child safety or someone who works closely with schools. We’ll do our best to match that.
5. The meeting
When you’re ready, the department and your facilitator will finalise the meeting with the senior leader from the department.
If you choose to meet in person, you will be able to tell us your preference for where you would like the meeting to be held. For example, at your old school, at a department office, at a local community location or somewhere else that you would feel comfortable or that suits your needs.
The facilitator and the department would work with you to ensure that it is a safe space which can also accommodate any support people you’d like to bring and any accessibility needs.
6. After the meeting
Your facilitator will check in with you afterwards. If the department representative made any commitments during the meeting, the facilitator will help ensure that they’re followed through.
Your rights and protections
- Flexibility. We’ll move at your pace. You can take breaks, reschedule meetings or pause the process at any time. You might end up deciding that this is not the right process for you.
- Professional support. We offer up to five wellbeing sessions with a qualified practitioner of your choice so you can get the support you need. Your facilitator and department contact are also there to answer questions throughout the process.
- Choice of support and location. You can have a loved one or other support person/s with you during any part of the process, and you can decide where/how the meeting will take place.
- Legal rights. Receiving an acknowledgement or apology does not affect your right to bring a legal claim to the department for compensation or access the National Redress Scheme.
- Confidentiality. If you choose an in-person meeting, your conversation with the department’s senior leader about the impacts of your experience will be confidential. We’ll explain to you how we’ll handle any information that you share with us.
Wellbeing support available
We understand that sharing your experiences can be incredibly difficult. Your safety and wellbeing are our priority.
We offer funding for up to five wellbeing sessions to support you through the personal acknowledgement. You can use these for counselling with a practitioner of your choice, or for complementary therapies, like art therapy or yoga with a qualified practitioner.
The five sessions are available to you, even if you have already received compensation through a legal claim.
Important to know: The department offers financial support to victim survivors who report child sexual abuse by an adult working in a Victorian government school. This is separate to any wellbeing support offered through the personal acknowledgement process.
For further information refer to Counselling support for victim-survivors.
Acknowledging your experience in other ways
For some victim-survivors, there are other meaningful ways for the department or school to acknowledge their experience of abuse, either instead of, or as part of receiving an apology and acknowledgement from the department.
This might include removal of a staff member’s name from a school honour board, or establishing a physical form of acknowledgement or memorial on school grounds (such as planting a tree, an installation, or artwork), agreed on between a victim-survivor and their former school.
For information on the department’s guidance for Victorian government schools on requests for memorials and other forms of physical acknowledgement, refer to the Policy and Advisory Library (PAL)
You are welcome to contact the department's Restorative Engagement and Support team on 03 9057 4500, or email rest@education.vic.gov.au with any questions or for further information about memorials acknowledging historical child sexual abuse in a Victorian government school.
Frequently asked questions
Find out more and get started
Contact the department's Restorative Engagement and Support team by calling 03 9057 4500, or emailing rest@education.vic.gov.au.
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