Calls for school to be shut down
PAST students claim a dangerous culture of bullying has plagued the school Dolly Everett attended since the 1980s, with calls for the Uniting Church institution to be closed.
The Courier-Mail has obtained comments made in a private Facebook group over the last week about Scots PGC College in Warwick that suggest Dolly’s bullying experience was not in isolation.
One woman, who attended Scots between 2002 and 2006, said a boy had pulled her pants and underwear down after sports practice while other boys had held down girls and pretended to rape them while laughing.
Another person said “they used to jump on sleeping kids in footy boots” which left them bleeding while another said seniors had run through a dorm in the early hours and smashed their shins with hockey sticks while they slept.
Principal Kyle Thompson told The Courier-Mail that the school continued to communicate appropriately and respectfully with all members of their community.
“Our focus is on balancing the important need to keep our community informed while being mindful of the information we can share,” he said.
The revelations come a week after A Current Affair’s interview with Dolly’s parents Tick and Kate who revealed their daughter Meg had not been allowed back to the school following her sister’s suicide in January.
People have since taken to slamming the college on Google reviews with many giving it one-star ratings over the last week.
“What a disgrace. Scots PGC administration should hang their heads in shame,” one person wrote in the Facebook group.
“I realise that a legal minefield exists but the silence from the College Community is deafening,” another wrote.
Some said they enjoyed their time at Scots while others said bullying was not unique to the Warwick school.
“What I personally witnessed on a daily basis and was periodically subjected to was unbelievable,” one person wrote.
Popular social status, sporting talent and whether teachers liked students were cited as either making someone’s boarding experience “heaven or hell”.
“I am now 100 per cent completely embarrassed to be associated or even say I was a former student who completed high school at Scots PGC College,” another wrote.
“After speaking with other school mates over the article, I fully agree that Scots PGC should be closed down over this, and I can see a law suit on the way,” someone else said.
Mr Thompson said the school continued to follow guidelines established by Mindframe, Headspace and Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists in communicating with and supporting their community.
“As this matter is part of a coronial investigation we must respect this process and therefore are unable to make any further comment,” he said.
“Should any member of our school community, past or present, feel that they have been the subject of bullying in our community, they should contact the police, Lifeline Australia and/or the school directly.”