Victorian Institute of Teaching slammed in scathing review
Victorian Institute of Teaching is being overhauled after a damning report finds it takes up to three years to take no action, leaving accused teachers in limbo.
EXCLUSIVE
It takes the Victorian teaching regulator up to five years to finalise serious claims against educators, including those charged with crimes, a damning external review has revealed.
It can also take up to three years for the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) to decide to take no action in less serious cases, causing extreme stress for innocent teachers.
The education watchdog will be comprehensively overhauled in light of the findings of an investigation into its effectiveness. It will focus more on high-risk cases and dismiss less serious matters faster.
The review, conducted by Andrew Brown Consulting, assessed the timeliness of the action in response to allegations made against its 159,000 registered educators.
It concluded that “some high risk matters are not being addressed in a timely way” due to inefficient “business practices and an organisational structure”.
In one case, it took 18 months for the VIT to finalise a case involving a teacher accused of sending sexually explicit messages to a student after the investigation was completed.
In another, it took two years for the VIT to take action against a teacher even after they had been convicted of cultivating cannabis.
The report, obtained exclusively by the Herald Sun, shows the VIT had more than 2000 open cases in March 2025, with more than 300 not even allocated to a case manager.
The number of open cases had dropped to 1794 by June 2025.
Such figures reflect previous reporting by this masthead and follow ministerial intervention in mid 2024.
The review found the VIT received 3529 matters in the past three years, with 85 per cent closed with no action taken.
However, it can take the regulator up to two years to decide to take no action, with one quarter of cases taking three or more years. This often leaves teachers in limbo, with some losing their registration while probes are stagnant.
In some cases, even a preliminary investigation can take more than two years, with the review finding that in some matters there had been “no substantive action” for as much as three years.
Proposed changes to VIT processes will see a teacher’s registration remain, and able to be renewed while investigations into claims take place. This would not be appropriate in cases where suspension action is necessary due to the seriousness of the allegation.
Martin Fletcher, CEO of the VIT, said the review was “all about sharpening our focus on the most serious risks to child safety, while making our processes fairer and faster for everyone”.
Following an independent review, the VIT is embracing a bold reform agenda to improve
how teacher conduct matters are managed,” he said.
The institute will adopt a strategy of finalising high-volume lower-risk matters unlikely to result in regulatory action faster, reorganising tools to boost outcomes and engaging a temporary team to address backlog cases.
A new triage system will more efficiently implement matters where no action will be taken, along with better classification to move cases through more quickly.
Other strategies include standardising reports, better information sharing with the Commission for Children and Young People, more hearings and a reorganisation of the Professional Conduct Branch.
Victorian Independent Education Union deputy general Secretary Kylie Busk expressed “deep concerns about the number of unresolved cases on their books and the huge delays in resolving low-risk matters”.
“Behind each one of these cases is a teacher. There are simply too many cases in which a trained and experienced educator is subject to a stressful and taxing investigation for a year or more before being cleared of any allegation – and as a result choose to leave the profession,” she said.
“At a time of teacher shortage we must improve this system so that an entirely justified focus on child safety does not result in unjustifiable and unnecessary harm to teachers.”
Gail McHardy, CEO of Parents Victoria, said the VIT has “taken proactive steps with the increasing complexity of safeguarding and the heavy demands on regulators.
“Adequate support from both the government and education employers will be essential to keep students safe.”
“Not every report leads to formal action, but every agency, school, and family can work together to reduce risks and prevent harm,” she said.
Originally published as Victorian Institute of Teaching slammed in scathing review
