Review ordered into elite Brisbane private school amid growing staff exodus
A leading Catholic school is under review after 190-plus staff resigned in just two years, as discussions continue around union concerns for “staff wellbeing and school culture”.
Education
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A leading Catholic school will be the subject of an independent external review, with further senior teachers having left in Term 1 following a mass exodus of staff in the past two years.
Marist Schools Australia has commissioned the audit of Marist College Ashgrove, which is due to take place next year, although the College insists this is a regular “standard process”.
The independent external review into Marist College Ashgrove will be done by the University of Southern Queensland’s specialist education Leadership Research International (LRI) group.
It comes as separate behind-the-scenes discussions continue between Marist Schools Australia and the Independent Education Union’s Queensland branch, representing College staff, regarding concerns raised by employees around “staff wellbeing and school culture”.
In a joint statement, MSA and MCA said they continue to work with the Independent Education Union “on a range of issues”.
“We are committed to addressing matters in a constructive and positive manner,” they said.
“External reviews are a standard process implemented by MSA across our 12 Colleges, with all undertaking such reviews in 2024 and 2025, with the one for MCA expected in 2025.
“The review will be comprehensive and look at all aspects as represented in the Australian Council of Educational Research (ACER) School Improvement Tool (SIT) and the UniSQ Diagnostic Inventory School Alignment Survey (DISA).”
The joint statement said the external review will be “comprehensive” and a “professional inquiry” drawing upon a range of data and seeking “the input of an external panel”.
Independent Education Union state secretary Terry Burke said the union “represented concerns” of Ashgrove staff to MSA and they continued to deal with the matters raised.
Further senior staff left the College during Term 1 including Head of Science Andrew Fogarty who took the same role at Toowoomba Grammar School, long-time Head of House Megan Wandell left after 37 years, and 34-year veteran teacher Fred van den Brink resigned.
Former Head of House Terry Quain also left to take up a teaching position up the road at Mt St Michael’s College, and senior teacher Madonna Spillane departed after 24 years’ service.
The joint MSA and MCA statement also addressed these recent resignations.
“Regarding all our staff, including those who have left, MCA and MSA are extremely grateful for the exceptional service and commitment demonstrated to our students and the College.”
The staff turnover rate at MCA has tripled in recent years.
Particularly in 2022 and 2023, a total of 191 employees resigned.
This included 10 veteran staff members, and with them went more than 190 years’ combined service to the College across the teaching, boarding, sporting, and leadership departments.
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