‘Phenomenal overreach’: Churchie old boys back St Paul’s School

Old boys from the elite Anglican Church Grammar School have thrown its weight behind St Paul’s and its axed principal, accusing the church of a “vice-like grip” and “phenomenal overreach”.

Old boys from the elite Anglican Church Grammar School have thrown their weight behind St Paul’s School following the shock axing of principal Paul Browning, accusing the Anglican Church of a “phenomenal overreach” of governance.

Tom Biggs, from the Churchie Committee, told The Courier-Mail on Thursday that the dismissal of the popular St Paul’s headmaster “shows the Church has a stranglehold on all Anglican schools in its remit, including St Hilda’s, The Southport School and Toowoomba Anglican”.

“The Church, through its Anglican Schools Commission and its chair, Archbishop-elect Jeremy Greaves, has a vice-like grip,” Dr Biggs said.

Paul Browning’s contract won’t be renewed.

“On behalf of the Churchie Committee, we would support St Paul’s School and the headmaster and it (the renewal of his contract) is a matter for the school council surely, except they’ve all been sacked, which is the nature of the Church’s phenomenal overreach.”

As reported exclusively in The Courier-Mail, Dr Browning informed the school community of his imminent yet untimely departure on Wednesday at 4pm.

His dismissal was despite an independent research firm providing an “incredibly affirming” assessment of his performance and the school council – sacked by Bishop Greaves on August 18 – unanimously recommending his contract be renewed until 2028.

There was no communication to parents from the diocese or its schools commission until 2pm on Thursday, leaving parents, students and staff claiming they had been “blindsided” and sparking protests on the campus and via social media.

In the church statement, Bishop Greaves said the decision not to renew Dr Browning’s contract was “essentially was about recognition of the fact that the relationship between employer and employee had broken”.

“For some time there had been a drift in alignment between the leadership of the school and the ASC,” he said.

Dr Biggs, a prominent Churchie old boy and 1962 school captain, said in any good school, students were the primary stakeholders – followed by parents, past pupils, staff and the wider community.

“But the Church’s overreach means none of the other stakeholders are considered – the church has its name on the title deeds of the school and therefore it doesn’t have to listen to anyone.

“How does the Anglican Church which lives in exalted towers identify with individual parents? It can’t possibly.

“it’s marginal whether the PMSA (Presbyterian Methodist Schools Association) or the Catholics or the Anglicans are any different.”

Dr Biggs was speaking out ahead of a bombshell letter sent to the 1000 members of the Churchie Committee overnight following the reappointment of controversial Churchie headmaster Alan Campbell.

School heavyweights, including influential old boys of the East Brisbane institution, had campaigned vigorously for Dr Campbell’s contract not to be renewed by the ASC at the end of 2023.

But Dr Campbell was given another five years, sparking outrage among certain parts of the school community.

In the letter, a copy of which has been obtained by The Courier-Mail, Dr Biggs said schools like Churchie had become “the cash flow that kept the Anglican Church flush”.

Dr Biggs claimed St Margaret’s and St Aidan’s received more focus from the church.

He said parents and grandparents would prefer a school have “the best teachers and the standout best principal … rather than more bricks and mortar”.

“Next time you get a begging letter from the Churchie Foundation (the fundraising arm of the school), may I suggest you table your grievances as to the lack of corporate governance at the school. Like Qantas, Churchie has squandered its reputation by the stranglehold the Anglican Church has over it.”