Churchie old boy’s scathing letter slams ‘learning difficulty exclusions’

A third-generation Churchie old boy has written a scathing letter to its council claiming the prestigious East Brisbane boys’ school has a practice of excluding children with learning difficulties or poor academic records.

Anglican Church Grammar School AKA Churchie, East Brisbane. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

A third-generation Churchie old boy has written a scathing letter to the school’s council, outlining “grave concerns” he holds about practices at the prestigious East Brisbane boys’ school.

Simon Schmidt – father of Year 12 student Baxter Schmidt, who he says was initially excluded from the school due to having dyslexia – wrote the letter after being told headmaster Alan Campbell was to be given another five years in the job.

Mr Schmidt claims Churchie has a practice of excluding children with learning difficulties or poor academic records – which contravenes the school’s founding principles.

“Enough is enough – more parents need to be heard, this can’t be allowed to go on,” he said.

Mr Schmidt wrote to the council on Thursday, March 30, after reading in The Courier-Mail that a group of parents was lobbying the Anglican Church to stop the renewal of Dr Campbell’s contract.

Insiders say Dr Campbell has been quietly reappointed for another five years from 2024 by the Anglican Church’s schools commission, without consultation with the Churchie council.

The commission has publicly denied the renewal, telling The Courier-Mail the review process of the headmaster is “only about to begin”.

Mr Schmidt said the school’s policy on excluding children with learning disabilities or low academic results was particularly tough on rural families who wanted or needed their children to board.

Anglican Church Grammar School headmaster Dr Alan Campbell.

“A lot of families have sent their children off to other boarding schools because Churchie couldn’t guarantee a sibling could get in because of their academic performance,” he told The Courier-Mail.

“If you’re a parent in the bush, you can’t be sending one kid to Churchie and another to Nudgee or TSS (The Southport School); it just doesn’t work.”

Dr Campbell said on Thursday that “high academic and behavioural expectations have always been a part of the school”.

“We are proud of this tradition and are open and honest with prospective parents,” he said.

“Every year, in my headmaster’s address to future parents at open day, I state we are unashamedly a grammar school in the Anglican tradition, and our expectations are high in this regard.

“Each enrolment is carefully and individually considered from date of application, always with the intent of advising clearly what the school can offer each boy.

“High standards of behaviour, a great enthusiasm for learning and a willingness to be involved in every aspect of school life are among the important considerations during the enrolment application process.”

Dr Campbell also said the schools offered “a broad suite of courses across the ATAR, IB (International Baccalaureate) and Vocational Educational platforms”.

In Mr Schmidt’s letter to the Churchie council – a copy of which has been given to The Courier-Mail – said report cards from Baxter’s primary school, Moreton Bay Boys College, “noted him to be a pleasant, kind and cheerful student always willing to participate in all manner of school and sporting life”.

Strong in athletics, he said Baxter had been appointed “Erick The Viking”, a prominent position for leading all the Churchie boys in sporting and school spirit.

Mr Schmidt said he was “very upset and angry” that Baxter had initially been “excluded from the school that had given my family so much”.

Mr Schmidt claims Churchie has a practice of excluding children with learning difficulties or poor academic records.

He said his older son Stirling was “well settled into Gerald House and the prospect of not having his brother with him was distressing”.

Mr Schmidt writes that he was “shell shocked” to be advised by the Churchie registrar that Baxter’s 2015 application for Year 6 in 2017 had been rejected.

The registrar’s email, sent on October 13, 2015 and seen by The Courier-Mail, said “after considerable discussion the school has decided that Baxter’s level of support required would not be achievable at Churchie”.

A stunned Mr Schmidt and wife Belinda Gay then arranged a meeting with Dr Campbell, who was appointed principal in 2014.

“Below were the comments that Dr Campbell made to us: Baxter would not be admitted to Churchie – no consideration would be given to his old boy and sibling status,” he wrote.

“There was no learning support offered at Churchie, and post 2017 there would be no VET subjects offered as they were discontinuing the program.

“He suggested we make contact with other GPS schools to find a placement for our son.”

Mr Schmidt said the family had a very positive interview with Nudgee College, which offered Baxter “verbal acceptance” on the spot, but it was only due to Stirling being well-established at Churchie and “shared family history at the school” that prevented them immediately accepting.

He said consistent pressure on admissions to reverse the decision and calling on others of influence – “too many to name” – finally saw Baxter start at Churchie in Year 7 in 2018.

Mr Schmidt, managing director of scrap metal supplier Rural Metal Traders, told The Courier-Mail Churchie was founded on principles of egalitarianism and was never designed to be “elite”.

“Some people think if you send your kids to Churchie that reeks of privilege, but lots of families scrimp and save to do that,” he said.

According to the Churchie website, 2023 fees including levies are $57,921 for boarders and $31,631 for day students in Years 7-12.

Churchie was founded in 1912 by Canon Morris who, in his first address to parents, said his aim was to “train characters as well as minds”.

Prominent Queenslanders who have attended the school include former Governor of Queensland Paul de Jersey, former Qantas chairman and Rio Tinto chief executive Leigh Clifford, and Australian Country Choice beef company principal Trevor Lee, and builder Sir John Pidgeon.