Make a complaint about a school
This page has information on how to make a complaint about your child's school, how the complaint is managed and contact details for government and non-government schools.
For school enquiries
If you have an enquiry, you should contact your school in the first instance.
You can find can find a school's contact details using the education directory.
Give feedback to your school
To give feedback, go to the Department of Education website.
Before you make a complaint
If you have concerns, it's important to let your school know so they can work with you to solve any problems.
Before you approach your child's school, you should:
- be clear about the issues you want to discuss
- focus on the facts and the things that affect your child
- remember you may not have all the facts yet
- think about how the matter could be resolved
- check the Department of Education's policies and the school's policies
- be realistic about what the school can do to resolve your complaint.
Your responsibilities
When making a complaint, you should:
- be clear about the problem and the outcome you want
- provide all relevant information when making a complaint
- tell the department of any changes impacting your your complaint
- understand that if a complaint is complicated, it can take time to assess and resolve
- be respectful - unreasonable conduct will not be tolerated by school, regional or departmental staff.
Working through a complaint
When working through a complaint, everyone, including Northern Territory government schools and the Department of Education must:
- listen to each other's views
- work towards a solution
- understand that some concerns are more complicated than others
- be cooperative, respectful and kind
- respect people's privacy and keep things confidential.
Where to make your complaint
You should always talk to your school first. They can solve most problems and your issue may be easily resolved.
Depending on your concern, you might make your complaint to one of the following:
- your child's teacher
- principal
- representative body such as a school council.
To contact your child’s school, go to the Northern Territory Government's education directory.
You will find contact details of government, non-government schools, or training centres.
Complain about non-government schools
Non-government schools have their own complaints policies and processes.
If you have a complaint about a non-government school, the following websites have further information:
- Catholic Education Office
- NT Christian Schools Association
- Association of Independent Schools of the NT.
If you are not able to resolve the complaint with the non-government school, you can refer the complaint to the Department of Education for review by emailing ngs.det@education.nt.gov.au.
Vocational education and training
If you have a complaint about vocational education and training in schools, including apprenticeships and traineeships, you can contact the Department of Education by emailing vetis.det@education.nt.gov.au
You can also make a complaint to the Australian Skills Quality Authority. For more information, go to the Australian Skills Quality Authority website.
Early childhood
You contact Quality Education and Care NT by calling 08 8999 3561 or emailing qualityecnt.det@education.nt.gov.au.
Read more about making a complaint about an early childhood service.
How your complaint is managed
To find out how Northern Territory government schools and the Department of Education formally manage complaints, or to read about privacy statements, go to the Department of Education website.
After you make a complaint
The school will aim to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible. They will take into account the complexity and timing of your complaint.
Complaints that need some review may take longer to resolve. Therefore, your complaint may not be resolved when you make initial contact.
Once your complaint has been resolved, you will be contacted and informed of the following:
- outcome of your complaint
- any recommendations
- any further options available to you.
For privacy reasons, the Department of Education cannot provide you with information about other people involved in your complaint.
If you are unhappy with the result
It might not always be possible to resolve your complaint to your complete satisfaction. Schools can only resolve complaints in ways that are in line with the Department of Education's values, policies and the law.
If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint or how it was handled, you can contact your local regional office by phone or email schoolops@education.nt.gov.au.
Complain about a government school
To make an enquiry or a complaint about a government school, contact the school's regional office by phone or email schoolops@education.nt.gov.au.
Regional office | Phone | |
---|---|---|
Darwin | 08 8999 5613 | darwinschoolops@education.nt.gov.au |
Top End | 08 8944 9200 | topendschoolops@education.nt.gov.au |
Central | 08 8951 1616 | centralschoolops@education.nt.gov.au |
East Arnhem | 08 8987 0888 | arnhemschoolops@education.nt.gov.au |
Big Rivers | 08 8972 5389 | bigriversschoolops@education.nt.gov.au |
Barkly | 08 8963 2010 | barklyschoolops@education.nt.gov.au |
Contact the NT Ombudsman
If you are still not happy with the result, you can contact the Northern Territory Ombudsman. For more information, go to the Ombudsman NT website.
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