Victoria's education department faces a potential multi-million dollar fine if convicted over the death of a boy in a wheelchair at a Melbourne school.
The department is accused of failing to maintain a safe environment at the Hoppers Crossing Warringa Park School, where the boy's wheelchair tipped over and he died in November 2018.
A student teacher was supervising the boy at the time. But she hadn't been given specific information about his or other children's special needs, Melbourne Magistrates Court was on Wednesday told.
The department faces three charges, two relating to its alleged failure to maintain the school's ramps and provide adequate training about disabled students' needs.
It's also accused of having "generic policies" for supervision in place that exposed children to serious injury or death.
Magistrate Pauline Spencer refused the department's request to have the case remain before her, where the penalty for each charge is capped at about $400,000.
Instead, she said the case would need to go to the County Court. If convicted, the department faces a maximum fine of about $1.4 million per offence.
The dead boy's mother attended the hearing via audio-visual link.
"No doubt the passing of your much-loved son will continue to be extremely distressing for you and I know every time there is a court appearance it will be more difficult," Ms Spencer told her.
"For a child to lose his life in these circumstances is incredibly sad."
The education department is expected to return to court for another committal mention on March 30.
