Schools with ‘enrolment challenges’ under review by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools

Four Catholic primary schools are under threat of being shut down while dozens more are struggling with shrinking enrolments. See which schools are under review.

Devastated parents have been told four Catholic primary schools are under threat of closure while dozens more across the state are struggling with tiny enrolments.

Changing demographics, Catholicism’s social stigma and a decline in religious beliefs have left some schools with as few as 16 students.

The Herald Sun can reveal the schools under review by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools due to their “enrolment challenges” include St Bridget’s Primary Balwyn North, which has 71 students, St John’s in Clifton Hill with 78, St Joseph’s in Black Rock with 75, and St Mary Magdalen’s Chadstone with 85 students.

MACS executive director Edward Simons said schools were assessed for ­review using a minimum benchmark of 150 students, with education outcomes, ­potential for growth, pastoral care and financial status taken into account.

Four Catholic schools are under review due to ‘enrolment challenges’. Picture: iStock

Dozens of other Catholic schools in the metropolitan area and around the state have enrolments much lower than this number, including those in Vermont, East Doncaster, Kew East, Reservoir, Blackburn North and Flemington.

Rural Catholic primary schools in Clarkes Hill, Dunnstown and Pyramid Hill each have fewer than 20 students.

A mother at St Joseph’s ­Primary said parents were ­“beyond devastated about our lovely school” and thought “they just want the land to settle historic child abuse claims”.

“We were told we had eight years to turn it around but they haven’t given us this long,” she said.

Some rural Catholic schools have fewer than 20 students. Picture: iStock

The school, which has been open for more than 90 years, would not close before the end of the year, parents were told.

Catholic education heads have reached out to anxious parents, pledging to work to boost enrolments in struggling schools.

The Herald Sun has been contacted by parents whose schools are under review by MACS to determine their viability. A number have expressed frustration that the peak body has done little to support their efforts to keep schools open.

However, after the Herald Sun contacted MACS, parents received a letter from director Dr Mary Oski telling them they were continuing to “invest in a range of activities to boost enrolments”.

“The coming months provide us an opportunity to hear from and work with you, to better understand your school’s needs with a commitment to provide timely updates every step of this journey together,” Dr Oski said.

It comes as one Catholic principal said schools “with low enrolment but high land value campuses are more at risk”.

The Catholic Church is facing hundreds of multimillion-dollar historic child abuse claims and has sold off a number of properties, including the Malvern De La Salle College campus, which is now run by MACS.

Dr Simon said overall enrolments at Melbourne’s 266 Catholic primary schools increased by 400 students out of 78,335.

He said rises and falls in ­demand were due to demographic changes.

“We are currently consulting with four primary school communities to better understand how we can address their current enrolment challenges,” Dr Simon said.

Independent Education Union deputy secretary David Brear said the union would carefully watch the reviews.

“No decisions have been made to close any Catholic school, and no redundancies have been notified,” he said.

Catholic enrolments are surging with new migrants in outer suburban areas such as Moorabbin, Airport West, Point Cook and Mill Park. St Francis of Assisi Primary in Mill Park has 1218 students.

Deakin University senior lecturer in education Emma Rowe said enrolments in Catholic schools had fallen by about 1 per cent since 2014, which ­reflected multiple factors.

“It could be related to lowering levels in religion across the board in society and an ­increase in people who identify with no religion and secular as well,” Dr Rowe said.

“I also think it’s fair to say … there’s been social stigma ­towards the Catholic Church and a cultural backlash with a number of events affecting the church and this may be affecting enrolments.”