Bombshell emails reveal who authorised misleading VCE leaks media statement that distressed students

Internal emails released under Freedom of Information show a statement by the state’s exam authority about VCE leaks — that misled and distressed students — was signed off by the Premier’s and Education Minister’s offices.

The Premier and Education Minister’s offices authorised a media statement from the exam authority about the VCE leaks that misled and distressed students, the Herald Sun can reveal.

The statement released by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) was designed to play down the devastating exam leaks last year. It was not clarified by Education Minister Ben Carroll for more than 36 hours.

Bombshell internal emails from November 13, released under Freedom of Information, show it was signed off by the “PPO” and “MO”. PPO is the Premier’s Private Office and MO is the (Education) Minister’s Office.

The statement was used to provide talking points for former VCAA CEO Kylie White in the media the next day.

Her interviews caused great anxiety to students and teachers because she incorrectly claimed that the leaked material was “sample material” rather than actual questions.

This was despite clear evidence to the contrary published by the Herald Sun and, on 6am Saturday November 16, Ms White resigned her plum role.

The VCAA statement, also released to the Herald Sun, offered false assurances to students, telling them to be “reassured about the quality of the exams”.

Despite his office authorising these incorrect statements, Mr Carroll did not clarify the extent of the leaks or properly correct the record in interviews. This is despite him admitting he received a briefing with a “high level of detail” about the “broader problems” on Wednesday November 13.

It was only by November 15 that he ordered a full “root and branch review” and finally said students were “let down as a result of these errors”.

A government insider said the sign-off by the minister’s and premier’s offices was “standard practice for the past two years at least”.

“Very few government departments or authorities make public comment without going through the PPO or the MO,” they said.

Secret emails reveal the PPO (Premier's Private Office) and MO (Minister's Office) authorised the misleading statement before its release.

The emails only came to light through Freedom of Information.

The “sample material” line was first workshopped by the VCAA a month earlier when it uncovered the inadvertent leaking of actual exam questions on 65 exam instruction sheets by a well-meaning junior staffer.

The VCAA had been frantically trying to cover up and manage the leaks, which included the rewriting of thousands of exam questions.

The FOI exchanges also reveal former Education Department secretary Jenny Atta and executive director of communications Stuart Teather also saw the misleading statement before it went out.

The Herald Sun contacted Mr Carroll’s office about the sign-off but a statement was issued by a spokesman for the VCAA. It said: “ The VCAA led and finalised communications during the period of the 2024 VCE exams”.

“The VCAA actively worked to provide timely communications throughout the 2024 examination process.”

The lack of communication between the VCAA and broader public about the leaks was commented on by independent reviewer Yehudi Blacher in his report.

Education opposition spokeswoman Jess Wilson said: “Minister for Education, Ben Carroll, knowingly misled students and school communities over Labor’s latest VCE exam debacle”.

VCAA VS REALITY

The VCAA said: “All exams have been prepared with extensive quality assurance in place”.

The reality: The VCAA was responsible for bungle after bungle in the exam preparation process.

The VCAA said: “All students can be reassured about the quality of the exams.”

The reality: The leaked questions on the cover sheets affected 65 out of 74 mainstream exams.

The VCAA said: “In production, sample material was inadvertently included” on exam cover sheets.

The reality: The leaked material contained actual exam questions, not sample material.

The VCAA said: “We reviewed the examinations and ensured the questions were different to the sample material”.

The reality: Exams were not reviewed, they were hastily rewritten, with many ending up the same as the leaked questions.

Originally published as Bombshell emails reveal who authorised misleading VCE leaks media statement that distressed students