Foreign workers in Catholic boarding house kept off the books
Six months after Kildare Catholic College principal Rod Whelan was dumped without explanation, it can be revealed foreign workers with no working with children clearance were allegedly paid cash to put students to bed in the school’s boarding house.
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Foreign workers without criminal checks or a working with children clearance were allegedly paid cash to put boys and girls to bed in a Catholic school boarding house.
The allegations have been revealed by former staff members of Kildare Catholic College at Wagga Wagga.
It is claimed the off-the-books workers did not have their criminal histories vetted when they worked at the Mount Erin Boarding House, which houses weekly boarding students from Kildare Catholic College and Mater Dei Catholic College.
“Due to legal and privacy reasons, we are unable to comment on individual staffing matters,” a school spokesman said. The Catholic Education Diocese of Wagga Wagga will this week launch an independent review in “matters pertaining to Kildare College”, and report back before the beginning of Term 2 in late April.
The foreigners were allegedly paid $250 a week in cash to prepare students’ supper, put them to bed and get them dressed for school in the morning, according to former senior staff at the school.
The claim was only brought to light in August when one of the foreign workers, a South African gap year student, called an employee assistance hotline asking for help with their mental health.
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It is claimed that human resources officials from the overarching school administrative body, which oversaw 26 primary schools and five secondary colleges in the Riverina, raised concerns when they could not find the South African worker in the staff database.
Highly respected Kildare Catholic College principal Rod Whelan left the school that month, much to the bitter disappointment of parents and students who were never told why because of “legal and privacy reasons”.
At the time of Mr Whelan’s resignation, parents marched into the school to collect their children during the day and students stormed out of school assembly to chant “We want Rod” and “Reinstate Rod” on the school oval.
Parents who held a prayer vigil for the axed principal in September were asked to leave St Michael’s Cathedral.
Facebook group “Reinstate Rod” has thousands of supporters, who have been demanding to know why the educator left the school and returned to his post.
Mr Whelan started a new job as a school consultant in the Catholic Schools Office Diocese of Armidale in November.
The Sunday Telegraph does not suggest Mr Whelan left the school as a result of the claims.
Mr Whelan did not respond to requests for comment on the circumstances surrounding his resignation.
A host of high-ranking staff have resigned or been sacked from the Wagga Wagga Catholic school system in the wake of the claims, most of whom bore the brunt of outrage about the lack of information provided by the church.
Former Employee Services Officer Sue Delaney claims she was sacked in a snap disciplinary hearing after airing her concerns for the welfare of school staff. She is pursuing an unfair dismissal case.
“The Year 12 parents were especially furious, given the time frame with their children’s HSC exams,” lawyers for Ms Delaney said.
“Ms Delaney felt physically threatened by the parents’ aggression and subsequently made a complaint that she felt unsafe.”