Leading high school Glen Eira College at the centre of serious bullying claims

Glen Eira College has been met with a raft of serious bullying allegations in two petitions signed by almost 100 people, calling for the school to prioritise students’ wellbeing and safety.

Two petitions signed by almost 100 people are calling for improved bullying and sexual harassment policies. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Students from a leading Melbourne high school are pleading for urgent action on bullying and sexual harassment in a series of damning petitions.

Two Change.org petitions, collectively signed by almost 100 people, urge help to “save children from Glen Eira College” amid concerns about dress codes, teaching standards and mental health support.

A Facebook page mimicking the school was also created with the purpose of highlighting “all of the bullying and sexual harassment at Glen Eira College”.

A number of serious allegations were put forward in the petitions including the school not punishing bullies, teachers “making fun” of students and female students “attacking male students or sexually harassing others”.

A number of serious allegations were put forward in the petitions against the school. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“Glen Eira College only cares about their reputation and are willing to harm students to uphold their reputation,” one of the organisers wrote in a petition published four days ago.

“Students are only punished if they damage the school’s reputation. Glen Eira College must be shut down.”

Another petition organiser, claiming to be a former student, alleged the bullying at Glen Eira College was “rampant” and “a perpetual torment that dominates the lives of countless students”.

The school’s academic curriculum, uniform policy and newsletter were also criticised.

“The academic curriculum, especially the Glen Eira College SEAL (Select Entry Accelerated Learning) program, is lethargic, leading to high dropout rates and broad student dissatisfaction,” the petition said.

“Furthermore, there’s an irrationally strict uniform policy which victimises students for minor infractions … A school should prioritise students’ comfort and personal expression, not marginalise them over trivialities such as attire.”

This petition – which calls for “Glen Eira College to become an institution which not only preaches excellence but truly exemplifies it” – was published two weeks ago.

Despite the long list of signatures, very few people shared messages of support backing the cause.

The school’s academic curriculum, uniform policy and newsletter were also criticised in the petitions. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The online campaign comes after a third petition was published seven months ago also calling for more strict anti-bullying policies to be implemented, while similar issues have been raised in unverified Google reviews.

But despite the unsubstantiated claims, Glen Eira College is among some of Victoria’s top-performing state schools.

Last year the college was among the top 20 state schools by VCE median, with its students scoring a median study score of 32 – in line with Balwyn High School, Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College and Mentone Girls’ Secondary College.

The school was also in the top 150 secondary schools in NAPLAN, with its year 9 students scoring an average of 588.4.

Glen Eira College principal Sheereen Kindler said the school has “zero tolerance for bullying and will take strong action if any instances occur”. It’s understood that the school rejects the claims made in the petitions and that the claims have not been raised with the school. However, the school’s leaders are open to discussing such views with anyone directly.

The Herald Sun attempted to contact the petition organisers for comment.