A FORMER Perth headmaster has told a royal commission he didn't factor in the protection of children when deciding against sacking a teacher later convicted of sex abuse.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child sexual abuse also heard on Friday the headmaster, known as WD, did not seek advice from child protection experts or the police when confronted with a series of concerns about the teacher's behaviour in 2004.
The inquiry is investigating how the exclusive independent school, which cannot be named for legal reasons, dealt with the teacher known as YJ.
In 2009, YJ was dismissed from the school, arrested and convicted of molesting five students between 1999 and 2008.
"When you considered the ramifications and the ramifications of any decision whether to keep YJ at the school or dismiss him, did you factor in the protection of those children," counsel assisting Sophie David asked WD.
"The simple answer to your question is no," he said.
The children Ms David was referring to were named in a teacher's 2001 letter of concern about YJ's behaviour.
The commission has heard of a series of concerns raised by teachers and parents about YJ's behaviour towards students between 1999 and 2004.
The 2001 letter kept on YJ's file raised concerns he was touching students on the thigh, and stomach, and giving children cash gifts.
Later, a teacher known as WH found YJ in a class room with a boy on his knee and his hand "high up" on a child's thigh.
WH made a formal complaint about the incident in 2004.
WD then found a series of notes and a letter on YJ's file raising similar concerns but not alleging outright sexual abuse.
YJ was given a last warning about his behaviour in 2004 but not dismissed, and YJ refused to sign the official warning.
WD was asked if he sought expert advise from child protection specialists or the police.
He replied no to both questions but said he did seek industrial advise from the Independent School Teachers Union, and ethical advise from the Association of Independent Schools of WA.
However, no report was lodged with the state's now defunct teacher's registration body, the West Australian College of Teaching (WACOT).
Nor did he speak to any of the children mentioned in YJ's file.
Two of YJ's five victims were abused during WD's tenure.
WD acknowledged there was a potential risk to the child mentioned, but not named, in WH's complaint by keeping YJ on.
"The flip side to that coin was that if I was to dismiss the member of staff on the evidence that I had at that point in time, then I was potentially consigning that person to exiting the profession," he said.
The commission also heard excerpts from a report by Prof Stephen Smallbone, an expert witness critical of the school's handling of YJ.
His report said there was a systemic failure to stop YJ continuing behaviour that had on numerous occasions been documented as serious breaches of school policy.
Prof Smallbone also said there was a serious failure by the school to piece together the information concerning YJ's behaviour, and to act on it.
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