Archbishop steps in to stop Catholic school closures across NSW

The country's most senior archbishop has blocked a plan by the state's 11 Catholic dioceses to defy government policy and close their schools.

The three school sectors' hard-won consensus to keep NSW schools open was on the verge of collapse before Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Education Minister Dan Tehan rang Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher on Wednesday to ask him to intervene.

"We should not break ranks": Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher.Credit: Peter Rae

But the federal government is "very disappointed" in the growing number of independent schools that have bowed to intense parental pressure and shut down campuses.

Mr Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian both insisted on Wednesday that schools should remain open for the "foreseeable future", saying a prolonged, premature closure was unlikely to stop the spread of COVID-19 and could make it worse, while devastating the economy.

There is a view among senior education officials that if major schools or systems close,

the pressure to shut down the public system would be overwhelming.

On Wednesday, Newington College's senior campus shut for 24 hours after a staff member had contact with someone who tested positive.

The Sydney diocese went public with a plea for all schools to close on Tuesday, but several senior sources told the Herald that Catholic Schools NSW, which represents the education directors of 11 dioceses, was at the same time approaching the state government about a total shutdown of its schools.

The federal ministers contacted the bishop on Wednesday morning. Soon afterwards, Bishop Fisher wrote to NSW Catholic School bosses backing the governments' stance, and saying the federal ministers had been "very disappointed" by decisions by some of the non-Catholic independent schools to pre-emptively close.

"And, by implication, [disappointed] with some of the actions or public statements of some in our own sector," he wrote in a letter obtained by the Herald. "The government asks us to work together, collectively to seek the best medical advice, to help preserve calm, and to help it in its best efforts to address this public health emergency.

"It is the view of bishops presently here in Sydney for a meeting of the permanent committee that we should not break ranks with our Commonwealth and state governments and their chief medical officers on this."

In a press conference after his call to Bishop Fisher, Mr Morrison warned the impact of school closures on the economy and productivity would be severe. "What do I mean by severe? Tens of thousands of jobs could be lost, if not more," he said.

Some independent schools are breaking ranks, although there are still fewer in NSW than Victoria. On Wednesday, Sydney school Kambala joined them by announcing it would bring kindergarten to year 10 fully online from Monday, closing its physical campus.

Moriah College in Queens Park will also put its lessons online, as will Presbyterian Ladies College in Croydon for all students except year 12.

Ms Berejiklian rebuked those schools. "We would prefer that everybody is absolutely on the same page when it comes to all the stakeholders in education," she said. Most were, although "there are some, very few, that do not. But there is no rationale for closing down schools."

Most independent school heads are sticking to government advice despite intense parental pressure. Independent and Catholic schools run their own operations, but they receive 80 per cent of their public funding from the federal government.

In a long email to parents, Queenwood head Elizabeth Stone said there was no evidence a closure would stop the spread of COVID-19 unless it was accompanied by a full social lockdown, which might be considered in coming months.

Any such lockdown would not be sustainable for six months, which is the predicted length of the first wave of infections.

"Half measures could increase the risk to the public while full measures can only be sustained for a short time – and therefore should be deployed when it will make the greatest difference," Ms Stone wrote. "Is now that time? I do not believe so."