Victorian Government orders a "reset" at the authority after a wide-ranging review
Victoria's school exam authority is facing a leadership reset after a new report unveiled "very poor workplace behaviours" that were tolerated within the organisation.
The final part of the review on the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) revealed cultural challenges within the organisation that allowed for alleged bullying and fostered a culture of blame and fear.
The review, conducted by independent reviewer Yehudi Blacher, said people management, project management, stakeholder engagement, and influencing skills were seen as lower priorities for appointment.
"This has led to some very poor workplace behaviours being tolerated in the interests of the 'mission'," the report read.
"At its worst... this has resulted in dismissive behaviour, siloes ('what could they know about my area') and occasionally allegations of bullying."
One public submission for the report claimed: "There is an endemic bullying problem at the VCAA, which senior management seems unable or unwilling to address effectively."
Culture of blame also present
Further feedback received in the report claimed the authority "operates under a culture of blame and, sometimes, tolerance of poor behaviour."
"Blame is often assigned swiftly and publicly, and often across organisational functions," the report said.
"Consequently, there is very little collective accountability."
In some units, the report said a culture of fear was present.
"Staff in these areas are concerned not only about being blamed but about being the subject of sustained criticism or the target of retribution," the report read.
"The behaviours that have become normalised in these areas include a willingness to engage unprofessionally in disagreements, a tendency to critique others and a lack of respect for colleagues."
Leadership reset at VCAA
The report made 11 recommendations to address the problem at the authority, including the recommendation to increase the focus of leadership on the culture of the organisation.
"The VCAA acknowledges that major reform is required to ensure that we perform our core functions of developing high-quality curriculum and assessment products and services, as effectively and efficiently as possible," the authority said in a statement.
Victorian Education Minister Ben Carroll also said the State Government accepted all of the recommendations in the report.
As part of this, Carroll ordered a "reset" in the organisation's leadership, except for the CEO post, which has been recently occupied by Andrew Smith.
"This root-and-branch review of the VCAA has left no stone unturned in identifying the cause of last year's mistakes and we're wasting no time getting on with fixing them," Carroll said in a statement.
"Dr. Blacher and his team have provided us with a roadmap for reform which, overseen by new CEO Andrew Smith, will deliver a stronger, more accountable, and more robust VCAA for Victorian students for years to come."
VCAA exam blunder
The review of the VCAA came after exam questions and materials for the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) were accidentally made publicly accessible before the exams took place.
The breach affected 65 out of 116 VCE exams.
VCAA CEO Andrew Smith said they recognise that students and schools feel they have been let down by the authority.
"I want to assure everyone studying their VCE this year that the VCAA is fully focused on delivering a successful 2025 exam period and students, schools, and families can have every confidence we will do just that," Smith said in a statement.
