Australian schools face public liability to avoid personal injury cases
In Australia, the parents of school children may soon be faced with a public liability bill to pay for insurance to cover their children in the case of a personal injury.
However, the regulations have confused many parents as they are unsure whether this rule extends to camps as well.
In an attempt to keep everyone happy, students are also being advised not to take expensive belongings to school such as iPods, calculators or mobiles, in case they are lost or damaged.
The Education Department has instructed learning institutions to tell parents the public system does not insure students for damage to valuables or personal accidents.
In a recent memo to schools, the department stated that transport and medical costs are only paid if the injury is caused by the negligence of a staff member, volunteer or school council employee.
Many parents were horrified when they realised that public liability insurance wasn’t provided, Camberwell’s High principal Elida Brereton said.
“I've had to tell parents they must insure their own children or make sure their family insurance covers kids,” she said.
“We have to say to kids, if you bring your mobile phone, your iPod, your latest iPhone or whatever, and it disappears, while we'll do everything we can, and get police in if necessary, the department is not liable.”
Public liability debate
While schools have public liability insurance, some have opted to purchase private insurance to cover personal injuries.
However, the school memo pointed out that: “premiums should be paid from general funds or be obtained through special levies from parents.”
Association of School Councils in Victoria CEO Stephen Franzi-Ford noted that many parents would not mind paying levies because the insurance coverage was around-the-clock, not just in school hours.
"If you have a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week policy, it's only right to expect parents to put into that," he said.
Under the department's parent-fees policy, accident insurance payments are considered optional extras.
Extension of Australian schools
Tasmania has also adopted the public liability route, but this reform has been greeted with more acceptance.
Community and sporting groups have welcomed the Government’s decision to trial a third party insurance policy that will insure all groups using Education Department facilities.
David Bartlett said how the issue of public liability insurance hindered community groups from using departmental facilities for fear of being liable if someone received personal injuries.
“Consequently some communities were missing out on using vital public sporting infrastructure. From 1 July this year, the Government will trial a blanket-cover third party insurance policy that will open the gates of all Education Department facilities to the broader Tasmanian community,” he said.
Bartlett added: “It will also provide the increasing number of people in our community who are ‘time poor’ with the flexibility of using state-owned infrastructure at times that suit them.”
President of the Tasmanian Branch of the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER) and University of Tasmania Human Movement Course Coordinator, Dr Karen Swabey, said the announcement is a step in the right direction for increasing participation in sport and recreation.
“We want as many people as possible to be involved in sport and recreation, whether that be casually or as part of organised activity. Having more facilities on hand will only serve to increase the opportunities out there for members of the community,” he said.
Updated on 24/03/2009