‘Failed students’: Melbourne’s St Kevin’s school battle heats up

The governing body of one of Melbourne’s elite schools has been accused of not doing enough to protect students.

St Kevin's College, Toorak, Melbourne. Picture: Supplied

A high-powered battle is playing out at an elite Melbourne school which could rock the foundations of Catholic education in Australia.

The governing body of St Kevin’s College in Toorak has been accused of “shocking” governance, which “failed students” by one of the country’s most senior businessmen, who runs the school’s advisory board.

Chairman of the Commonwealth Bank Paul O’Malley has lashed the leadership of the school’s governing body Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) — formerly known as the Christian Brothers — claiming it had not done enough to protect students at the college.

But a spokesperson for EREA hit back, saying she was disappointed “Mr O’Malley has chosen to misrepresent the substantial changes under way at EREA”.

St Kevin's College, Toorak, in Melbourne, has been accused of ‘shocking’ governance, which failed students’. Picture: Supplied

Tensions at the upmarket Catholic school have been high since a shocking Four Corners report in 2020 about the culture of the school, which led to the resignation of long-time principal Stephen Russell.

He stepped down after it was revealed he wrote a character reference for an athletic coach who was subsequently convicted of grooming a student.

Former principal of St Kevin’s College Stephen Russell.

A former student also broke into the school last year to film the protest against “misogyny and homophobia’’ at the school by burning a blazer, filming it and then posting it on Instagram.

James Robinson sparked the protest after Jordan De Goey was charged in New York for allegedly inappropriately touching a woman.

The charges against the Collingwood star, who was a classmate of Mr Robinson at St Kevin’s, were later dropped.

Mr O’Malley said he was disappointed with the way EREA had handled the “wake up call”.

“It is unclear to many, yet the governing entity of St Kevin’s College, the group that actually controls and operates the school and that is fully responsible for its governance and operation, is Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA),” Mr O’Malley said.

“Governance has always been in the hands of EREA – outside the ability of the school or its Advisory Council to directly address,” he said.

“In my opinion, through direct experience as a parent, community member and as Chair of the College Advisory Council, EREA has not delivered the appropriate governance for the College – in fact, I believe it has manifestly failed the students, the staff and the leaders of the College.”

Chairman of the Commonwealth Bank Paul O’Malley.

Mr O’Malley, who was appointed to the chairman’s role at the nation’s largest bank in August, also holds a non-executive director position at major supermarket chain Coles.

His public intervention in the dispute about the school’s governance was an unprecedented step.

Catholic Education Victoria has confirmed it ordered a review into EREA, which manages 55 schools across Australia.

A draft has been completed.

St Kevin’s spends at least $1.3m on fees to EREA, while also paying for services from the Melbourne Archdiocese for Catholic Schools.

The school’s advisory council, led by Mr O’Malley, intends to break away from EREA, and set up its own legal incorporated entity in 2023.

A high-powered battle is playing out at St Kevin’s College in Toorak, which could rock the foundations of Catholic education in Australia. Picture: AAP

The EREA spokesperson said the governing body had “persevered” with St Kevin’s following the Four Corners report.

“Mr O’Malley has provided guidance on how we might best support St Kevin’s College, and we have responded accordingly,” she said.

“Consultation with our 55 schools throughout EREA across Australia, affirms that our national approach is highly valued by Principals and School Advisory Councils.

“No other school within EREA has applied to become a separately incorporated body, which is reflective of this feedback.

“While we have work to do to address past issues, change is under way, and I am confident we are on the right path.”