Sexually abused students need ongoing, not piecemeal, support

It’s not often that we look to the secondary school sector for examples of innovation in leadership or good governance. However, Melbourne’s Xavier College looks to be on the cusp of implementing a bold strategy in a sector where good governance remains patchy at best.

The school is set to tackle the consequences of past child sexual abuse and to do so in ways that are open, transparent, meaningful and hopefully of lasting support and assistance to survivors. In other words, Xavier wishes to be more “human” in its response strategy and less institutional.

Xavier College has made a concerted attempt to be more human and less institutional in its response to cases of students sexually abused by staff.

Xavier has signalled it wants to actively do something rather than bury its past – shocking as it is.
Surprisingly perhaps, parts of the corporate sector have supported the notion that institutional responses are almost always sub-optimal and that money while helpful — is often not the highest priority in grievance mitigation. Cold, clinical financial settlements and a letter of apology are always only partially going to address the very significant emotional needs of those seeking redress, understanding, recognition and a way forward.

Counter intuitively, several large companies in the energy and mining sectors have shown a preparedness to lower their institutional shields and truly engage with people in communities and with individuals impacted or aggrieved by their operations. BP, Shell, BHP and Fortescue Metals Group have all adapted to new and challenging operating environments.

Embarking on this path takes skilled people, a great deal of time and a genuine determination to set the wrongs of the past on a better course. It’s more human.

Richard Baker’s weekend report in this masthead about Xavier’s plan to help students heal should be required reading for headmasters, principals and school boards across Australia.

Xavier College has made public its intention to reach out and offer more than mealy mouthed apologies for past cases of sexual abuse within the school community. While it’s early days, the initiative could represent a significant moment of enlightenment in secondary education.

The school’s principal William Doherty correctly states that many schools where abuse has occurred, have simply said “sorry” and paid out compensation where this has been shown to be warranted. Others continue to be mired in litigation — which is painful, traumatising and costly for all involved, most notably the survivor.

Doherty wants his school, and by implication others too, to “own” their pasts and do something about the traumatising and lasting consequences of sexual abuse of students.

Implicit in Doherty’s efforts, along with the counselling and support organisation, In Good Faith Foundation, is a powerful recognition that this subject deserves a great deal more than sanctimonious regret from those entrusted with school governance and the closing of a file.

Xavier wants to care for those in its community who have been damaged by the criminality of others (often senior, trusted members of their community) and to take a “whole of life″⁣ approach to nurturing and healing those for whom abuse has been real.

Many other schools, inside and outside the Catholic sector, should note what Doherty and his colleagues are doing and consider adapting the concept to their own schools.

Schools need to own their pasts and actively engage with abused students to redress wrongs.Credit:Michele Mossop

Schools, whether independent or government funded, should be more human and less institutional in their approach to engaging their students, and their wider school communities. There are no surprisesabout which issues pose challenges to young people — learning and living in a pandemic, use of drugs, alcohol, sex education, sexual abuse, mental well-being and relationship management.

Few principals speak about these matters in public (with former MLC principal Rosa Storelli a notable exception) and many parents are left wondering what role the school is playing in these critically important areas. The vast majority of secondary schools dislike outside scrutiny, perhaps through fear of failure. The wealthier public schools employ public relations consultants and all too frequently hide behind their advice and directives.

Why schools are unwilling or incapable of accessing the vast skill sets of their parent population remains one of the big unanswered questions of governance in the secondary school sector. In some schools, highly skilled parents in relevant professional disciplines have offered advice (pro-bono) only to be told to mind their own business.

Schools frequently boast about “their” community but in fact do next to nothing to access the ingenuity, acumen and knowledge of that community. If dealing with the horrendous fallout of child sexual abuse, and the lasting impacts of the pandemic, are not triggers for change – then what is it going to take?

Education will encounter severe headwinds in the coming decades as schools, at all levels and in all sectors, grapple with the fallout from the pandemic, growing debt levels in the community, changes to ways young learn about and experience the world, among other challenges.

Schools must become more resourceful, smarter, agile and more responsive to the legitimate wishes of not only their communities but the wider community as well. They are going to have behave more like people, and not as institutions.

Whether directly or indirectly involved in the shameful scourge of child abuse, all schools should see the wisdom and humanity of Xavier’s efforts andimplement their own change in this, the 21st century.

John Simpson is a member of the Monash University council and a former member of the Scotch College council.

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