More than 200 people attended QCEC’s Student Protection In-Service Day on Friday.

I was pleased to provide the opening address for the event, which moved to online presentation in light of the ongoing COVID-19 wave.

During the event, many informative online and in-person presentations took place on the understanding of potential sources of harm to students, how schools can work with partners in government to promote student safety, and strategies for strengthening student protection within rapidly changing education environments.

We also had special in-person presentations from Fabian Colless and Steve Taylor from the Queensland Police Service’s Task Force Argos Sexual Crime Unit which focussed on dealing with online abuse, reporting abuse and harm, and what can be done to protect students.

My thanks to Chief Operating Officer Chris Woolley, Senior Policy Officer Patrick MacDermott, and other QCEC staff for the roles they played to ensure such a successful event. Thanks also to the QCEC Student Protection Reference Group for their ongoing work in this important area.

Photo: Chris Woolley (QCEC), Steve Taylor and Fabian Colless (QPS) and Patrick MacDermott (QCEC)