St Kevin’s College ruling body admits school’s management structures were ‘inadequate’

St Kevin’s College hopes a new peak body will “reset, reclaim and reimagine” the school after making a major admission about about its inadequacies.

St Kevin’s College’s ruling body has acknowledged the school’s management structures were “inadequate”.

St Kevin’s College’s ruling body has acknowledged the school’s management structures were “inadequate” and stood in the way of the school progressing.

A new incorporated board designed to give the school more authority and accountability has been established.

It is detailed in a letter sent to parents from president of Edmund Rice Education Australia - the Catholic body that runs St Kevin’s.

EREA president Philomena Billington told school parents that “the governance structures and processes were inadequate and have contributed to the protracted process of enabling the College to heal and move forward”.

The school has faced unprecedented upheaval in recent years including a damning report into its “toxic” and “misogynist” culture, the prosecution of staff for child safety offences and a large turnover of senior teachers.

Four new boards have been created nationally to strengthen governance, accountability and regulation of all 55 EREA schools, but St Kevin’s is the only one to have its own board.

The letter from Ms Billington quotes Pope Francis’ “Change of Era” for the 55 EREA schools which together educate 40,000 students nationally.

The private Toorak school has recently been embroiled in several scandals.

Adjunct Professor Iyla Davies OAM has been appointed the Inaugural Chair of EREA Ltd, the new peak body.

“Iyla’s deep personal faith commitment will ensure that EREA continues to contribute strongly to the Mission of Catholic Education in the Australian Church inspired by the tradition of Blessed Edmund Rice,” the letter says.

“We continue to commit to working with St Kevin’s College in this period of regeneration and renewal as St Kevin’s College Ltd is established ensuring the governance that will enable the College to ‘reset, reclaim and reimagine’.

“I am confident that the new governance arrangements for St Kevin’s College will provide local and targeted expertise to assist the College achieve these aims,” Ms Billington wrote.

The new structure will be in place later this year “as a number of education and general regulatory requirements need to be met,” she said.

The school became subject to an enforceable undertaking by Victorian regulators in March 2020 after it was deemed to be “critically non-compliant with the care, safety and welfare minimum standard”.