Families told financial issues won’t affect their kids’ schooling
Families have stood by Catholic schools in some dark days and now Edmund Rice Education Australia which runs well-known Melbourne schools has pledged to repay the favour as parents face financial uncertainty.
Education
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The body which runs Catholic schools, including St Kevin’s College in Toorak, has promised families facing financial turmoil it will repay their loyalty, ensuring students can stay at school.
Edmund Rice Education Australia, which oversees schools ranging from entry level to medium fees and free tuition under its Flexible Learning Centre model for youth at risk, wrote to its member schools late last week.
EREA executive director Dr Wayne Tinsey told parents and caregivers the community faced “unprecedented and worrying times” offering solidarity and support for families and member schools.
“You have been very trusting of and loyal to your school and we are deeply appreciative of this,” Dr Tinsey said.
“We also realise that some of you are very worried about your capacity to meet school fee obligations due to your changing financial circumstances as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is very important that you know that we are with you and will remain loyal to you throughout this crisis.
“I would like to assure you that no student will be denied a Catholic education in the Edmund Rice tradition due to inability or reduced capacity to pay school fees and costs.”
The EREA network was established by Christian Brothers in 2007 to oversee the running of 50 schools with around 38,000 students around Australia.
Among Victorian schools are St Kevins, St Patrick’s Ballarat, The Parade Bundoora, CBC St Kilda, St Bernard’s Essendon and St Joseph’s Geelong. The St Joseph’s Flexible Learning Centres in North Melbourne and Geelong are run by Youth Plus Foundation and cater to youth disenfranchised from mainstream schools.
Fees at these schools vary widely with St Kevin’s around $18,000 for prep to year 4 and $21,000 for year 5 to year 12. This does not include building levies and other extras.
St Bernard’s fees are under $9000 for all year levels with some extras. St Patrick’s fees are between $6000 and $8000. The Parade fees are between $6000 and $7000 with additional building levy and laptop rent. CBC St Kilda’s fees are between $8000 and $9000. International student fees are charged differently.
St Kevin’s is a member of the elite Associated Public Schools of Victoria, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Melbourne Grammar.
Some of the EREA schools are members of Associated Catholic Colleges, a group organising their own sport and extra curricular events.
Dr Tinsey said principals would communicate with families how they might be able to access support due their changed circumstances.
“Please be assured that your dignity and privacy will be respected,” he said.
“EREA has also been in dialogue with our principals and school boards in relation to how we, as a national family of schools, are committed to exploring every avenue of supporting all schools and working together in this time of crisis.
“I take this opportunity to thank you for your trust and reiterate our commitment to standing with you during this difficult time.”
The education industry is in overdrive as to how schools will manage changed circumstances due to the pandemic.
An unnamed educator took aim at suggestions that non-government schools should waive fees, saying 70 per cent of the budget was spent on teachers.
He pointed out that budgets were developed a year out and while some schools might be able to be agile others would struggle.
Another insider suggested that there was glee among those opposed to private and independent education.
He said that the reality was that many of the people sending their children to the lower fee paying non-Government schools weren’t well off and often it was funded by mums working in retail to pay fees. Many of them would more than likely have been stood down and it was unlikely that bricks and mortar stores would bounce back in the short term and many would not reopen.
Another insider said changed circumstances, if the economy did not bounce back, could be a bonus for cheaper schools. People might be able to find $8000 a year rather than $35,000 a year.
“”It is going to be very interesting for those big schools with a lot of fixed assets that they need to maintain with the possibility of reduced or deferred fees,” he said.
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