Haileybury Chinese teacher Yu Blake suspended by the state’s educator watchdog

A teacher from the prestigious private school is one of two educators to be suspended by the watchdog in the past week, bringing this year’s total to eight.

A Chinese teacher from Haileybury is the latest to be suspended by the teaching regulator. Picture: Mark Stewart

A Chinese teacher from a prestigious private school with a long history in Melbourne schools has been suspended on an interim basis by the teaching regulator.

Yu Blake, a year 12 exam assessor for the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, has been teaching at Haileybury since the start of 2023 and before that at Toorak College in Mount Eliza.

Prior to her time at Toorak College, Ms Blake worked at a number of state schools as a maths teacher.

It is understood the school claims that Ms Blake breached Haileybury’s policies around professional expectations but the allegations are not criminal in nature.

Eight teachers have been suspended by the regulator this year.

A spokesman for the VCAA said: “a teacher whose registration has been suspended by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) is ineligible for employment with the VCAA”.

All employees of the VCAA must have a current criminal history records check or VIT registration.

Another teacher, Raffaele Scarfo was also suspended on an interim basis on Friday.

The reasons for his suspension have not been disclosed and it is not known where he worked at this stage.

The pair join a growing lists of other educators suspended since the start of this year, bringing the total to eight.

They include Troy Ollis (suspended interim), Richard Barren (suspended interim), Laura Hill (suspended ongoing) Justin Marks (suspended ongoing) and Nakate McKay (suspended interim).

Mr Ollis, a former teacher at MacKillop College in Werribee was stood down after being charged with child abuse offences.

Meanwhile, Mr Barren is a former Langwarrin Park Primary School principal who was charged with possessing child abuse material.

The list also included Ciara Browne, who taught at St Therese’s School in Essendon and was also given an interim suspension as the Herald Sun reported last week.

Interim suspensions are given out by the VIT to those who may pose an unacceptable risk of harm to children. They are reviewed every 30 days.

Originally published as Haileybury Chinese teacher Yu Blake suspended by the state’s educator watchdog