New governance for St Joseph’s College after damning report

St Joseph’s College will be managed by a new governing body after the Christian Brothers failed to meet child-safe standards. See what the changes will mean.

Principal Tony Paatsch welcomed the review. Picture: Mark Wilson

St Joseph’s College will be managed by a new governing body after the Christian Brothers, who have been overseeing the school, failed to meet child-safety standards.

The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority ordered sweeping reforms, which were detailed in a letter sent to parents on Wednesday afternoon.

Now known as Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA), the Christian Brothers movement made an apology to parents.

The governing body has been forced to set up a new company – EREA Victorian Schools Ltd – to run its Victorian schools, with the VRQA also ordering it to justify the fees charged.

The schools run by the Christian Brothers were ordered in 2020 to clean up child-safety standards. They were given a deadline but failed.

St Joseph’s College principal Tony Paatsch said the school had welcomed the review and subsequent changes.

“It has provided the catalyst for more effective oversight and governance of our operation by our governing body,” he said.

Mr Paatsch said the change in governance would have no a direct impact on the school’s day-to-day operation, and said a recent external audit noted the school had been “exemplary” in complying to child-safe obligations.

As well as St Joseph’s College, six other schools will be managed by the new body.

St Kevin’s College, Toorak, will split into a new separate entity.

EREA chairwoman Philomena Billington said, in a letter to parents, the reforms would

enable the Victorian schools to be more independently governed.

Ms Billington detailed the VRQA’s reasons for its requirements in the letter.

“The Notice has advised that the conditions were being imposed because the Trustees of EREA:

HAD not carried out our obligations under the required Child Safe Standards (known as Ministerial Order 1359) or structured our governance in a way that met our legal responsibilities, including providing a duty of care to students;

DID not comply with the timelines agreed in the 2020 enforceable undertaking; and

HAD not demonstrated appropriate oversight of child safety at Victorian schools,” the letter said.

“The notice also stated that it was in the public interest to ensure that the Trustees of EREA comply with the minimum standards as a foundation for quality schools in Victoria.”

A KPMG report had found the Christian Brothers body had failed students in its handling of child safety standards.

Ms Billington told NewsCorp that it was “with sincere regret that the changes we have made over recent years have not sufficiently addressed the requirements of the VRQA”.

“We will continue to work with school leadership teams to provide updates and support as this situation progresses,” she said.

Originally published as New governance for St Joseph’s College after damning report