School Cleaning and Security Concerns

We continue to hear from several members about ongoing issues with school cleaning, particularly in relation to security breaches. A number of principals have raised concerns that cleaners are failing to lock doors or properly arm security systems when leaving the premises. This poses not only a risk to school property but also to the safety of staff, students, and the wider school community.

One of the key challenges appears to be the high turnover of cleaning staff, many of whom are not fully briefed on site-specific security procedures. This lack of consistency has created ongoing gaps in practice, leaving school leaders to deal with the consequences.

Whilst it is encouraged that schools continue to report and work with their cleaning service provider, if such attempts have failed, it is critical that these concerns are escalated. The Department’s Cleaning Unit needs to be made aware of continual or persistent issues so they can take appropriate action. Without these reports, the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) and Department cannot see trends across the system and therefore cannot address the root causes. The school cleaning unit can be contacted via email at cleaning@education.vic.gov.au

Please continue to reach out to the APF so we can monitor the scale of concerns and advocate on behalf of members.  Just as importantly, please share examples of what is working well in your school with cleaning contractors, so that positive practices can be identified and promoted across the system.