Co-ed for Presentation College girls moving closer
A $1m taxpayers’ grant gifted to Presentation College Windsor - the historic school set to close this year - is yet to be spent. So where is it and what does the future hold for the prized campus?
Education
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A big sum of taxpayers’ money to upgrade the soon-to-close Presentation College Windsor remains in limbo pending the future use of the historic Dandenong Rd site.
The Catholic girls’ college was given $1 million under the State Government’s grants to non-government schools program.
But the impending closure by the Presentation Sisters of the school at the end of this year has seen the State Government reassess its investment.
It is understood half the money is with the Catholic Education Office and is not to be passed on to the school until a decision is taken about the future use of the prized site.
The remaining $500,000 has been retained by the State Government.
New CBC St Kilda principal Terry Blizzard seems to suggest the Presentation College site may be retained in a letter to families.
CBC St Kilda, located across an elevated walkway on Dandenong Rd, East St Kilda, has pledged to come up with a “reimagined” Catholic school for girls and boys.
“I look forward to leading our community into this exciting future,” Mr Blizzard told families.
“It is a unique opportunity to reimagine what we have, creating something new across two adjacent historic sites, built on the best of our existing culture, inspired by the charisms of the Presentation Sisters and Blessed Edmund Rice.”
Only a handful of girls started at the Windsor school in Year 7 this year and some girls in other year levels left.
When the closure was announced in July some parents say they were told not to enrol in Year 7.
About 20 teachers left the school at the end of 2019 when the nuns decided to pull the pin due to falling enrolment numbers.
“The Department of Education is working to identify the best use for this funding and consulting with the Catholic Education Office,” a department of education spokesman said.
“The funding has not been transferred to Presentation College Windsor.
“Once a decision is reached on how to distribute the funding, that information will be made available to the public.”
CBC St Kilda is calling for enrolments, launched a new Facebook page and adopted the hashtag #aschoolreimagined.
Mr Blizzard did not reply to Herald Sun inquiries but has spoken to families about the plans for 2021.
“Passionate about learning, we have been educating boys in the tradition of Edmund Rice since 1878. Welcoming girls into this tradition in 2021, we are envisioning new ways of learning for a new generation,” he said.
Both schools already share activities and classes, particularly in VCE.
It has been suggested that the new model may involve “parallel education” whereby boys and girls are in separate classes but come together for some shared activities.
In his welcoming address for the year, Mr Blizzard predicted an exciting future.
“A future in which girls and boys work, play and adventure together,” he said.
“An environment enlivened by respect, excellence, inquiry, challenge and fun. A community that develops the skills and confidence for girls and boys to flourish in life beyond the school gates, understanding the work environment of the future and the need to be flexible, dynamic learners who will thrive in complex and rapidly changing situations.
“Girls and boys working side-by-side, guided by enduring values embedded in our charism, lived every day at CBC.”
He said the school was busy fine tuning what the new school would look like.
“Working parties are preparing our infrastructure, renewing our wellbeing and learning programs, and reimagining our identity,” he said.
“We are working closely with young people, parents, our Parish, our staff and wider community for an inclusive, innovative and liberating education.”
Next door to CBC St Kilda is the St Mary’s parish and primary school which has been a feeder school for both schools in the precinct which has Windsor Primary and St Michael’s nearby.
The State Government has committed $120 million to Catholic and independent schools in acknowledgment that they educate a third of Victorian students.
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The funding is matched dollar for dollar, hence the Presentation College Windsor sign announcing a $2 million upgrade.
Work on Presentation College’s Nagle building which will provide contemporary classrooms is nearly complete.