Education Minister Sue Ellery rejects Mark Cummins claims about ‘systematic failure’ in student welfare

WA Education Minister Sue Ellery has said a departmental review found no evidence of a systematic failure in the sector pertaining to key mental health guidelines for students reporting suicidal thoughts.

In Parliament last week, the minister responded to the campaign by Margaret River-based teacher Mark Cummins, who has called for a parliamentary inquiry and lodged an 800-strong petition sponsored by Liberal MLC Steve Thomas.

In comments on social media, Mr Cummins said since promoting the petition he’d heard numerous stories of schools allegedly failing to follow protocols known as the School Response and Planning Guidelines for Students with Suicidal Behaviour and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury.

Mr Cummins and three other staff members resigned from MacKillop College after the death of a student last year, claiming it failed to notify parents or put risk-management plans in place when students disclosed thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

A brief stint working at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in Busselton added to his conviction State Government intervention was crucial.

After those concerns were first flagged, Ms Ellery instructed the Education Department to investigate Mr Cummins’ claims as they related to Catholic Education WA.

But in Parliament, the minister said the SB&NSSI guidelines — developed by the department and introduced to schools in 2018 — were “not mandated”.

“They are designed to be used in conjunction with existing school-based policies,” Ms Ellery said.

“The guidelines provide assistance for school staff to recognise, support and respond to student suicidal behaviour and non-suicidal self-injury.

“They support school planning in a variety of contexts, including disclosures, risk assessment, risk management planning and postvention,” Ms Ellery said.

“These guidelines are reviewed on an annual basis.

“The department has advised me that on the information provided by both Mr Cummins and CEWA, there does not appear to be evidence to support Mr Cummins’ concerns of systemic failure.”

Mr Cummins told the Times it was clear that policies should be followed, principals supported, for resources to be disseminated fully to staff, and for reviews of student safety and wellbeing to be undertaken often.

“How can you defend not regulating or auditing such important guidelines by saying they are not mandatory?” he said.

On social media, the teacher said the minister, CEWA director Debra Sayce and Association of Independent Schools WA director Valerie Gould should resign if unwilling to support an inquiry.

“If the wellbeing of your students is not an absolute priority in your schools, then you have no right to hold your positions,” Mr Cummins said.

“Either support the independent and transparent inquiry or resign. There is no middle ground.”

CEWA and the Education Department said they had no further comment to make.

Ms Gould said the inquiry was a decision for Parliament.

“We will always support everything that can be done to ensure the health and safety of all young people,” she said.

In March, the Minister for Mental Health Amber-Jade Sanderson announced an overhaul of WA’s system for minors, which included CAMHS.