Christian Brothers slammed over running of St Kevin’s College

A scathing report has slammed the governing body of 55 Catholic schools, including St Kevin’s College in Toorak.

St Kevin's College in Toorak. Picture: Supplied

The governing body of seven Catholic schools across Victoria, including St Kevin’s, Parade and St Bernard’s colleges, has been slammed as being “absent” and having “evaded accountability”.

A 52-page KPMG report into the Trustees of Edmund Rice Education Australia (TEREA) – founded by the Christian Brothers religious order – was scathing.

The report was commissioned after a 2020 Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) review found the TEREA Board had a “lack of oversight and enquiry” over its Victorian schools.

The KPMG report found similar problems to the VRQA review, including “a lack of transparency and accountability, inefficient processes, concerns around compliance and a breakdown in trust”.

Catholic Education Commission Victoria, which ordered the KPMG report, has demanded sweeping changes to TEREA.

CommBank’s chairman Paul O’Malley, who has a voluntary role at St Kevin’s, has welcomed the KPMG report.

The report was critical about TEREA’s failure to assist St Kevin’s, Toorak, which has now applied for more autonomy from the group that is ultimately controlled by the Christian Brothers in Rome.

It comes after Commonwealth Bank chairman Paul O’Malley, who is also on the St Kevin’s Advisory Council, told the Herald Sun last month TEREA had “manifestly failed students” in an extraordinary public swipe.

KPMG interviewed 41 people for its review, with the report stating it was “raised consistently” that during 2020, “the Trustees, Board and National Office Executive kept [St Kevin’s] College at arm’s length, and by being absent evaded accountability regarding the issues that occurred”.

The report also found that a lack of reporting to the TEREA board “may mean that undesired behaviour will go unaddressed.”

“Transparency is required, along with a culture that supports a trusted environment that enables people being called to account,” the report said.

St Kevins, St Bernard’s, Essendon, Parade, Bundoora and Preston, St Joseph’s, Geelong,

St Mary’s College, East St Kilda, St Patrick’s College, Ballarat, and Nano Nagle Flexi Schools Network are under TEREA in Victoria.

While the KPMG report focused on Victoria, TEREA oversees 55 schools across Australia, including, St Dominic’s College in western Sydney, Ambrose Treacy College in Brisbane and Christian Brothers College in Adelaide.

St. Kevin's College in Toorak.

TEREA has been under pressure, with executive director Dr Craig Wattam resigning last month after just 18 months in the job.

Mr O’Malley, who took up the chairman’s role at Commonwealth Bank in August, has been advocating for St Kevin’s board to have independent control of the school, which will happen from January 1.

He welcomed the KPMG report, saying that St Kevin’s should be “expeditiously” be allowed to run its own affairs but insisted CECV should continue monitoring the situation.

“The last few years have demonstrated the importance of governance that is close to St Kevin’s College,” he said.

“It has been the long-held view of the Advisory Council that the only way forward is to ensure that the governance of the school is fit for purpose, and that is best achieved via incorporation.”

CECV said the report exposed “culture and capability shortcomings”.

“The Review presents a comprehensive analysis of issues and report findings that there are significant deficiencies in the culture and capability of TEREA,” it said in a statement.

Schools should be able to have the ability to set their own fees and levies, it added.

But Philomena Billington, President of Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA), said the scope of the KPMG report was limited.

“EREA’s process of regeneration and reform has at all times focused on the needs of each

school community and the safety and wellbeing of the students, who are our absolute priority,” she said.

“Observations noted in the Culture and Capability Review reflect this, recognising that all EREA schools in Victoria consistently reflect child-safe values, support structures and leadership.

“The Review articulates areas that are most deserving of our attention, and underscores the

importance of our journey of regeneration and reform, however it does not reflect the position of EREA today.”