Sydney Religious School Allegedly Forced Students to Share Beds with Teachers, NSW Parliament Investigates
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- Dua mantan siswa Redeemer Baptist School mengungkap praktik berbagi kasur dengan guru dan pengawasan ketat dalam sidang penyelidikan parlemen NSW.
- Penyelidikan mengungkap 15 laporan risiko bahaya signifikan sejak 2004 yang tidak memicu asesmen lapangan oleh Departemen Komunitas dan Keadilan.
- Ketua komite Abigail Boyd menyayangkan ketidakhadiran pihak sekolah, sementara sekolah belum memberikan tanggapan atas tuduhan tersebut.
A New South Wales, Australia, parliamentary inquiry on Monday (12/10) heard shocking testimony from two former students of Redeemer Baptist School, a private religious school in western Sydney. They revealed a practice in which teenage students were forced to share beds with teachers during school activities, as well as an incident in which the principal allegedly appeared naked in a shared area.
Edward Garth, 23, recounted his experience during a school overnight program. He said he once saw the principal and church elder, Jonathon Cannon, walking without clothes from the bathroom to the living room that was then being used as his bedroom. "I was shocked, and when he saw me, he ran to his room," Garth told the committee. He reported the incident, but instead received a reprimand from his own parents after the information reached Cannon and his brother, Noel.
Another testimony came from Emma Hughes, who highlighted a school culture that she said left lasting psychological scars. She revealed that on several occasions, students had to share beds with teachers at the school's caravan park or cabins to save space. Although Hughes stressed that nothing indecent happened in her experience, she considered the practice inappropriate. "Usually the students chosen were community members, which actually shows they knew it should not have been done," she said.
Hughes also highlighted a pattern of strict surveillance, a culture of "dobbing", and public punishment applied by the school. She recalled an incident in which a male and a female student were asked to stand on chairs in front of the class after a teacher confiscated their love letters. Noel Cannon was said to have read the contents of the letter in front of four year groups before the two were humiliated in front of many teachers.
The inquiry highlights weak government oversight of private schools based on religious communities. For nearly two decades, dozens of reports of potential harm were not followed up with field investigations, raising questions about the effectiveness of child protection mechanisms in non-government educational institutions. Cannon and other school representatives were invited to give testimony, but did not attend. Committee chair Abigail Boyd expressed disappointment that the forced summons efforts were ignored.
This case reflects the challenges also faced by many countries, including Indonesia, in overseeing religious-based educational institutions that often have broad autonomy. In Indonesia, schools under religious foundations often escape strict oversight, while reporting mechanisms for violence or breaches of professional boundaries remain weak. The public demands transparency and accountability, especially when it concerns child safety.
As of the publication of this news, Redeemer Baptist School has not provided an official response to the allegations. The inquiry hearing will continue to examine more deeply the school's management practices and the role of government supervisory bodies. If proven, these findings could push for reform of child protection policies in private educational institutions in Australia, as well as serve as a warning for other countries to strengthen their oversight systems.
