Since 2013, the Ombudsman has dealt with more than 20 cases where school principals or staff allegedly gave jobs and contracts to family members, associates or related businesses. Several investigations found that principals failed to declare and in some cases, manage, their conflicts of interest.

This report draws attention to a problem that has become a regular subject of ‘public interest disclosures’ to the Ombudsman – nepotism in government schools. It highlights the need for school principals and staff to check and follow integrity obligations, and the need for public authorities to look for effective ways to embed integrity in their workplaces.

The Victorian Department of Education and Training has been building a comprehensive policy framework on conflicts of interest since 2010. It provides detailed advice for principals and schools about declaring and managing conflicts of interest.

Despite this, the trend continues. This report discusses three recent investigations into allegations that school principals and staff gave jobs or contracts to family members. In these cases, the principals and staff may have been well intentioned, but they underestimated the extent of their integrity obligations. Their experiences highlight the need for more work to raise awareness of conflicts of interest in schools.