Guidelines for Parent/Guardian complaints
As is the case for children attending mainstream schools, parents/guardians of children attending accredited community language schools are encouraged to contact the child’s teacher to discuss general issues in relation to their child’s languages program including:
- individual student needs
- academic progress
- behaviour and discipline issues
- non-attendance or truancy
- challenging or changing family circumstances.
General issues best raised with the school principal could include:
- school facilities
- excursions
- school fees and charges
- student assessment and reporting
- timing of special events
- homework policy
- student dress codes.
The child’s community language school should always be the first point of contact. Issues are best resolved at the school. The Ethnic Schools Association of Victoria (ESAV), which is the umbrella organisation for accredited community language schools, expects most issues to be resolved at the school level.
The following guidelines will support parents/guardians who wish to make a formal complaint in relation to their child’s attendance at an accredited community language school.
In making a complaint or seeking to resolve an issue, parents/guardians must follow the next three steps.
STEP 1
Raising an issue with the teacher
Teaching and learning works best when parents/guardians and teachers
talk to each other and work together to resolve problems. To address a
particular issue, parents/guardians should:
- make an appointment with the class teacher to discuss the issue.
- plan what to say so you can clearly explain the issue.
- listen to the teacher’s response.
- make a note of the people you spoke to and the date you spoke with them.
- outline the steps already taken to resolve the issue.
- explain what
action you would like to be taken to resolve the issue. Be reasonable and
realistic
about your expectations. - If the issue
involves another student at the school, do not approach them or their
parents/guardians directly. - understand the school could refer you to a more appropriate person, or agency.
STEP 2
Raising an issue with the
principal/assistant principal
If you still have a concern after talking to the child’s teacher you may choose to meet with the assistant principal or principal of the school.
- Make an
appointment with the assistant principal or principal and follow the same
procedures
as you did with the teacher. - If the issue
is still not resolved after speaking with the assistant principal or principal of
the
school, you may choose to contact the ESAV who will assist you and the school to resolve the
issue.
Should the issue remain unresolved following consultation with the assistant principal/principal, the parents/guardians concerned should refer the matter to the ESAV. The procedure for referring complaints to the ESAV is outlined below.
STEP 3
Raising a complaint in writing with
ESAV
If the issue cannot be resolved by the parents/guardians and the community language school teacher and/or assistant principal/principal, the parents/guardians may make a formal complaint to the Executive Director, Ethnic Schools Association of Victoria (ESAV) by submitting the attached Complaint Form.
When attempting to resolve complaints, the relevant school and the ESAV can engage the services of the Dispute Settlement Centre Victoria, which provides a mediation service free of charge. Further information is available at: http://www.disputes.vic.gov.au/
If after all avenues for resolution of the complaint have been explored, or if the parents/guardians are dissatisfied with the manner in which the complaint was handled by the ESAV, the parents/guardians may choose to refer the complaint to the Victorian Ombudsman, or to the Victoria Police. The Office of the Victorian Ombudsman is located on 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne 3000, phone: 03 9613 6222.
Any complaints about possible criminal behaviour and activity relating to a community languages school or the staff should be referred directly to the Victoria Police.
ESAV will take
reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify personal information if
it is no longer needed for any purpose. Under the Public Record Act 1973 the ESAV is required to keep full and
accurate records and implement a record disposal program. Destruction of
personal information must be carried out using ESAV’s disposal schedules.
家长/监护人投诉指南
和在学生日校的投诉机制一样，家长或监护人可以直接联系学生的任课老师，谈论学生的以下各种情况，例如：
- 学生的个别学习需求
- 学业进展
- 学生的行为与纪律问题
- 缺席或旷课
- 家庭变故或困难
可以和学校校长讨论的问题包括:
- 学校设施
- 外出活动安排
- 学费
- 学生成绩报告
- 特别活动的时间
- 有关家庭作业的规定
- 学生着装要求
建议家长或监护人有问题首先与学校直接联系，学校的监管机构社区语言学校协会也希望大部分的问题在学校内部解决。如果家长或监护人希望就有关学生在我校就学问题提出正式投诉，请遵从以下三个步骤。
步骤一
向任课老师投诉
教学问题的最好解决方式就是家长/监护人与任课教师面对面交流，共同解决。如果您需要与学生的任课教师讨论某个特定的问题，请做到以下几点：
- 提前与任课教师预约时间。
- 提前准备好您要说的话，以确保您能清楚地表达要讨论的问题。
- 认真听取老师的回复。
- 记录下来您与任课老师投诉的日期以及任课老师的姓名。
- 理出针对您投诉的问题已经采取的措施。
- 提出您希望采取哪些措施解决该问题，对于期望达到的目标，请保持理性和现实的态度。
- 如果投诉的问题涉及校内的其他学生，不要直接接触该学生或学生的家长/监护人。
- 理解学校可能会向您引荐一个更适合的人或者机构协助您解决问题。
步骤二
向校长或校长助理投诉
如果在向任课老师投诉后，您仍不满意，可考虑向校长/校长助理投诉。
- 提前与校长/校长助理预约时间，并遵循向任课老师投诉时的程序
- 如果在向校长/校长助理投诉后，问题仍未得到解决，您可以选择联系ESAV，该机构会协助您和学校解决问题。
如果在接受校长或校长助理的咨询后，问题仍未得到解决，家长/监护人可以向ESAV进行投诉，具体的投诉程序如下。
步骤三
以书面形式向ESAV投诉
如果家长/监护人无法和学校的任课老师、校长/校长助理就所投诉问题达成共识，可以书面形式向维州社区语言学校协会（ESAV）提出投诉（请填写好所附的《投诉表格》）。
在试图解决投诉问题时，学校和ESAV可邀请维州纠纷解决中心（DSCV）参与，该举措将涉及支付仲裁费用事宜。详情请查阅官网 http://www.disputes.vic.gov.au/
如果尝试了所有调解方式，或者家长、监护人对于ESAV的调解不满意，还可以选择联系维州调查员（Victorian Ombudsman）或者维州警署（Victoria Police）。维州调查员的办公室地址是：570 Bourke Street, Melbourne 3000，电话：03 9613 6222。
如果投诉问题涉及我校或学校员工的可能的犯罪行为或活动，请直接联系维州警署。
ESAV将采取恰当的措施销毁或永久性去除不再需要的个人信息。根据《公共记录法案1973》，ESAV需要保留完整而准确的信息并有恰当的记录处理办法，消除个人信息也要遵循ESAV的记录处理程序。
COMMUNITY LANGUAGE SCHOOLS
PARENT/GUARDIAN COMPLAINT FORM
This form should only be used when all avenues to have your complaint resolved at your child’s community languages school as set out in Step 1 and Step 2 of the Guidelines have been exhausted, and you feel the issue/s is/are of such significance that you wish to register your complaint with the Ethnic Schools Association of Victoria.
- PERSONAL DETAILS OF COMPLAINANT (Parent/Guardian)
Title
First Name Family Name
Address
Telephone/Mobile
Email address: (optional)
- STUDENT DETAILS (who the complaint is about)
First Name Family Name
Year Level Gender: Male Female
- COMMUNITY LANGUAGE SCHOOL DETAILS
CLS School/Organisation Name
Location of classes/ Campus
Principal’s name
Teacher/s name (if applicable)
This complaint is related to:(tick relevant box/es)
the administration of the CLS staff member other than the child’s teacher of the CLS
the class teacher Other
STEP 1
4. Have you taken the correct steps in resolving the issue before lodging this form? (tick relevant box/es and provide details in spaces provided below at no. 5.)
Class Teacher Yes Principal Yes Assistant Principal Yes
No No No
5. DETAILS OF MEETINGS (Attach additional information as required)
Date/s of meeting/contact with the class teacher
Outcome of meeting/s
Date/s of meeting with Principal or Assistant Principal
Outcome of meeting/s
6. COMPLAINT DETAILS: Brief outline of the complaint
7. How do you believe this issue could be resolved?
Applicant’s signature……………………………………………………..
Date:…………………………………………………………………………
Send completed
form to: Mr Stefan Romaniw
Executive Director
Ethnic Schools Association of Victoria/Community Languages Australia
Statewide Resource Centre
Level 2, 189 Faraday Street, CARLTON, 2053
Tel 9349 2583
Email: [email protected]
Website CLA: www.communitylanguagesaustralia.org.au Website ESAV: www.esav.org.au
