Wallaroo Mines Primary School principal stood down as education department investigates allegations
Wallaroo Mines Primary School's principal has been stood down pending an investigation, the department says. (ABC North & West: George Yankovich)
In short:
South Australia's education department has stood down Wallaroo Mines Primary School's principal while it investigates allegations made by parents.
The education minister says "some of the allegations were around her [the principal's] partner attending a school camp" but he did not believe there were any welfare concerns.
What's next?
The department will decide whether any further action is required.
The principal of a regional South Australian primary school has been stood down pending an investigation into allegations made by students' parents, the Department for Education has confirmed.
Allegations around Wallaroo Mines Primary School principal Tamarin Condon have circulated from an online petition calling for a "positive change in leadership", which has garnered almost 200 signatures.
In a statement, a Department for Education spokesperson said the principal was "on leave" while the allegations were being investigated.
"The department takes these concerns seriously and has met with a number of parents multiple times," the statement said.
"There is no 'secrecy' in relation to this matter and some parents have been warned about their ongoing behaviour.
"The department is closely monitoring the situation, has spoken with staff at the school and is providing additional support to the leadership team — along with continuing to meet with parents."
When the ABC contacted Ms Condon, she declined to comment.
Minister supports 'strong action'
Education Minister Blair Boyer said the department's decision to direct Ms Condon away from the school was the "strongest action" it could take.
"I think some of the allegations were around her [the principal's] partner attending a school camp," Mr Boyer said.
"He didn't work at the school, which is not the done thing and not the right thing to do.
"In response to that, the department has directed that person away from the workplace while they investigate what took place, which I support."
Blair Boyer says he supports the action taken by the education department. (ABC News)
Mr Boyer said he did not believe there were any welfare concerns surrounding the allegations.
"That's not to say that the allegations aren't serious … it's more around whether or not the alleged behaviour of the principal was appropriate or not," he said.
"We have high standards when it comes to that, I have high standards as the minister for education when it comes to that.
"We'll await the outcomes of that investigation, and the department will make a decision about whether or not any further action will be taken."
In a statement, SA police said it was aware of the matter, and there was "no police investigation at this time".
According to the school's Facebook page, Ms Condon started at the school at the beginning of term three this year.
Wallaroo Mines Primary School's principal has been stood down pending an investigation, the department says. (Facebook: Wallaroo Mines Primary School)
In the post, the principal said she was looking forward to "getting to know all of you and becoming part of this wonderful school community".
"I have experience working in small country schools and truly value the strong sense of connection and support that they offer," she said.
"I'm especially excited to get to know your child and support them in their learning journey. Building strong, positive partnerships with families is incredibly important to me, and I can't wait to work together to help every student thrive."
Local MP shared parents 'concerns'
Member for Narungga Fraser Ellis said he first became aware of the allegations over the past couple of weeks, when he began receiving calls from several parents.
"They really intensified and I've done my best to share those concerns with the minister's office directly," Mr Ellis said.
Mr Ellis said he welcomed the government taking "relatively swift action" to investigate the claims more thoroughly.
"I completely understand the fears and concerns of the parents and it's pleasing to see that action has been taken and then investigation launched,"he said.
"My understanding is that there are quite a few parents who have decided to take their kids out of Wallaroo Mines and enrol them elsewhere.
"I think for the benefit of those families, they should be informed as soon as possible about who the principal will be for next year will be, so they can make an informed decision."