Some participants in this discussion had been involved in the initial discussions about the College, some advocating for its existence and others campaigning against it. Nevertheless, participants felt that “what it was going to be and what it has become are two different things”. “It’s just another level of bureaucracy”. “It’s been there, we’ve paid it, but…”. “I know they exist because they send me bills”.

Teachers felt that “WACOT needs to have a visible presence in schools”. “It shouldn’t be information by chance”. It also “needs to have many more conversations with stakeholders”. “A lot of the issues are irritations and could have been prevented”.

Some teachers wondered, however, to what extent the issues about the effectiveness of the College are related to the College or to the way in which other government departments operate. For example, some teachers question whether the Working With Children Check actually achieves its aim of preventing people from abusing children. Teachers also noted that the Department of Education and Training, WA requires teachers to complete similar paperwork for employment that WACOT requires for registration...