Victoria’s education regulator is probing “horrendous” allegations of a punishment ring in a boarding house at Ballarat Grammar.
Victoria’s education regulator is probing “horrendous” allegations of a punishment ring in a boarding house at Ballarat Grammar.
By Caroline Schelle and Noel Towell
February 26, 2025 — 5.23pm
Victoria’s education regulator is investigating claims of a “punishment ring” at a private school that saw senior boarding students repeatedly assaulting younger students with straps.
Ten senior boarders at Ballarat Grammar have been sent home and local police are investigating assault allegations, some dating back to 2023, as concerns mount of a “strapping culture” in at least one of the school’s boarding houses.
The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA), which regulates education and training providers and manages the registration and review of independent schools, confirmed on Wednesday that it was examining the claims.
“All Victorian schools and school boarding premises must meet the minimum standards and other requirements for registration, including the Child Safe Standards,” a spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday.
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The authority has the power to impose mandatory conditions, bar a school from enrolling new students, and, in the most serious cases, suspend or cancel a school’s registration, if an institution fails to uphold child safety standards.
The move comes after The Age revealed last week police were investigating “horrendous” claims about a punishment ring among students at the boarding school.
Ballarat Grammar is co-educational, but its boarding houses are boys-only.
Ballarat Grammar declined to comment when contacted on Wednesday, citing ongoing inquiries.
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“We believe we have provided all the information we can to The Age as the investigation is still in process,” a spokesperson said.
Principal Adam Heath last week said most of those suspected victims were in years 8 to 11, but at least one year 7 boy was thought to be among the victims, and school authorities suspect the behaviour might have been more widespread.
Ballarat Grammar traces its history back to the 19th century; counts the state’s longest-serving premier, Sir Henry Bolte, among its alumni; and sets boarding and tuition fees for a year 12 student at more than $49,000.
The VRQA was granted compliance and enforcement powers to ensure premises satisfy minimum safety standards in 2021.
That decision came from a recommendation in the final report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that urged state and territory governments to place particular emphasis on monitoring boarding schools to ensure they meet Child Safe Standards.
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Caroline Schelle is an education reporter, and joined The Age in 2022. She previously covered courts at AAP.Connect via Twitter or email.
Noel Towell is Education Editor for The AgeConnect via Twitter.
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