NSW education officials refuse to say who made ‘better breeding’ Lithgow school slur

NSW education officials say an investigation into who made a derogatory remark about a school community has been closed, but have refused to say who made the slur.

Education officials are refusing to say who made the controversial “better breeding” slur against the Lithgow community – but say they have now finished investigating and have taken “appropriate action”.

The officials have ruled out the principals at Lithgow and Kandos High School being responsible – but One Nation MP Mark Latham who uncovered the derogatory remark says “no one is being held accountable”.

The shocking slur was contained in official briefing notes between school officials and department bureaucrats, with the phrase “better breeding” written down as a record of official minutes to a question on how to lift HSC results at the school.

It was contained in a bundle of documents about Lithgow High, and the NSW Education Department initially issued a statement saying the remark was made by a “relieving principal” at the school, but later apologised saying it was not made about that school, nor by that relieving principal.

Mr Latham said the author of the remark should be sacked, but now, three months later – the Department of Education’s Professional and Ethical Standards Directorate says it cannot reveal what disciplinary action has been taken.

The “better breeding” comment was made about the Lithgow High School community.

Mark Latham said no one has been held accountable for the slur. Picture: Richard Dobson

It stated: “Appropriate action has been taken” but says for privacy and confidentiality reasons it won’t comment further.

Mr Latham said “it’s disgraceful” no one has been held to account.

“They’re now not telling us which school it came from, which staff member said it or what action as taken,” he said.

“They’ve sacked a whole bunch of teachers for not being vaccinated, for imposing a health choice upon them, and you would have assumed someone would have been sacked over this.

“It should be an instant sacking offence.

“It’s the worst slur ever and the whole process around it is opaque.

“We’re none the wiser.”

Notes from a September 2020 NSW Department of Education meeting about improving HSC results at Lithgow High, stating “better breeding” would improve results. Picture: Supplied

He plans to raise further questions about the departmental official who appeared to have written the phrase down in the official documents, without raising the alarm.

A NSW Education spokesman said the “employee” who used the phrase was “issued with a warning”.

“The investigation concluded that neither the Principal of Lithgow High School nor the Principal of Kandos High School made the comments. The error in attributing the comment to the incorrect person is regrettable, and we have apologised to the former principal of Lithgow and the local school community,” he said.

“For privacy and confidentiality reasons, further comment cannot be provided.”

Bureaucrats grilled about Lithgow ‘better breeding’ slur

Education bureaucrats investigating the bungled “better breeding” comment about improving HSC results have revealed the relieving principal who allegedly made the remark is on leave and is yet to be interviewed.

But they won’t name the school involved, despite questions in parliament about whether it was Kandos High School, a school about 100km northwest of Lithgow.
In fiery exchanges in a public budget estimates hearing on education, One Nation MP Mark Latham grilled NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell and her top executives over the “disgusting slur”, contained in official department records as a suggestion on how to improve HSC performances.

Mr Latham asked why education officials gave “false answers” to The Daily Telegraph about the issue, and blasted the department over its response.

He asked if the teacher who made the comment “had no place in public education in NSW?”.

Education and Early Learning Minister Sarah Mitchell. Picture: Christian Gilles

One Nation MP Mark Latham at the Budget Estimates. Picture: Christian Gilles

NSW Education Secretary Georgina Harrisson replied she had to tread cautiously because of “people’s careers”, and said the relieving principal involved was on leave.

“It’s a disgusting slur on a working-class community,” Mr Latham said.

“Why were the false comments made?”
The documents containing the comment were in a collection relating to Lithgow High, and the department initially said it was made by the relieving principal.

The department backflipped this week, saying the comment did not originate from Lithgow High School.

Ms Harrisson said the department had made its statement based on “an understanding prior to the fact that we had identified it was an incorrect piece of paper in the wrong section”.

Ms Mitchell was also asked by Mr Latham: “How do you as a minister justify this culture of incompetence and defensiveness?”.

She replied: “I don’t agree with the premise of your question. We need to get to the bottom of what’s happened here. The reality is there are some people that the department needs to speak to in terms of procedural fairness in their investigation that are currently on leave.”
Mr Latham also asked if officials had spoken to the director of education leadership in Lithgow, whose name is at the bottom of the controversial document.

“Why hasn’t anyone spoken to her?” he asked.

“The whole working-class community, their parents have been slurred about their breeding.

“I would like an answer on their behalf.”

NSW Education school leadership director Leanne Nixon said she understood the seriousness of the issue and she had spoken to the education executive, but not the relieving principal.

“There are still people that need to be spoken to. I completely understand why you feel strongly about it Mr Chair, the comments need to be looked at,” Ms Nixon said.