Govt releases report into Yipirinya School as statutory manager announces staff redundancies
More than 100 academics have come to the support of one independent Alice Springs school where redundancies were announced – while a secret report into the school is finally made public.
Close to 20 staff could be losing their jobs at an independent Alice Springs school for Indigenous kids, with close to 100 academics now penning an open letter in support of the school.
Yipirinya School, which has been under statutory management since June 25, could lose 15-20 staff members, statutory manager Stuart Reid said in a letter to staff on Wednesday.
“The position the School now finds itself in is that it still needs to significantly reduce the operating costs of Yipirinya School and that will unfortunately result in a number of positions being removed from the school by way of redundancy,” Mr Reid said in the letter.
“Any positions that are made redundant at Yipirinya School are in no way a reflection on the performance, conduct or personality of the individual holding the position.”
As part of the statutory manager being appointed, the independent school’s board was relegated to an advisory capacity.
This masthead understands Yipirinya School will remain open, but due to enrolments dropping, the school is struggling with funding.
In 2024, there were 368 students enrolled, but this year the figure has dropped to 186 students, with 29 preschool students enrolled.
On Thursday, 50 students were at school, with nine teachers on duty, this mastheads understands.
School ‘spent far more’ on construction project
While the school receives funding per student enrolments, Mr Reid’s letter also states the school is also required to repay $3.7 million to the Australian government because of an overpayment.
“A submission was made to the Australian governments by the statutory manager to defer the repayment of the overpayment from 2025,” the letter from Mr Reid to staff reads.
“As a result, the Australian government has agreed to the school repaying the 2025 overpayment over five years, with the first repayment not to be made until 2027 to allow time for the School to grow student numbers during 2026.”
Federal Indigenous Australians minister Malarndirri McCarthy said the Federal government has been “engaging with the school on its financial situation” but said the NT government is “responsible for statutory management arrangements and day-to-day oversight of Yipirinya”.
In March this year, the school declined $6.3 million in federal funding to build a boarding facility at the school – a project spearheaded by former principal Gavin Morris, who in October was found guilty of four out five counts of aggravated assault against children.
The assaults occurred in 2023 while Morris was principal of the school.
Morris is no longer employed by the school and pleaded not guilty to his charges at the beginning of a two-week trial in Alice Springs in September.
Mr Reid’s letter states he’s seeking to rein in school spending in a number of ways, such as reviewing a childcare currently under construction which the school has “spent far more than it is receiving government funding to build”.
Yipirinya School principal Justin Colley directed this masthead to Mr Reid for comment.
In a statement to this masthead, Mr Reid said “dedicated Yipirinya School teachers and support staff continue to deliver teaching and learning for children at Yipirinya School Monday to Friday.”
“Statutory management work has been and continues to be focused on delivering the recommendations of the investigations and ensuring continued operations of Yipirinya School, and the school’s long-term viability as an important education provider for the Alice Springs community.”
CLP mum on emergency funding
While Ms Hersey did not provide comment on the latest developments at the school, this masthead understands she is not looking to provide any emergency funding for the school.
Gwoja MLA Chansey Paech, who’s previously pushed for NT education minister Jo Hersey to release the report into Yipirinya to the public, said the latest developments are “heartbreaking and deeply unfair”.
“The school is far too important for our community to lose – the NT and Commonwealth Governments need to come together to find a solution that doesn’t see staff made redundant just before Christmas,” Mr Paech said.
“Aboriginal employment is critical to closing the gap on disadvantage; it is unacceptable that the NT Government thinks laying off up to 20 Indigenous staff members is the way to resolve the school’s current financial issues.”
Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour, based in Alice Springs, said she’s advocated for the school which is “a critical connector for children in town camps who might not otherwise engage in the formal education system”.
She said she “raised concerns” about the “previous principal” and urged the NT government and Mr Reid to “resolve the issues the school is facing”.
“They need to do this without making critical staff redundant,” she said.
The report: Once secret, now public
Following former principal Morris being charged in August last year, an investigation into allegations of mismanagement and bullying at the school was launched.
Delivered to the government in December last year, the report has been kept secret – until Thursday, where the government decided to make the report public.
The registrar of non-government appointed independent George Zapcev found Morris gave himself an $85,000 pay rise – so he was being paid $360,000 per year, more than the NT Chief Minister – in a decision approved by the school board with “no clear rationale for this key decision”.
The school’s culture also “does not reflect a healthy and safe work environment,” according to the report, with Mr Zapcev investigating 60 bullying complaints in 2024 alone.
Morris has previously denied these claims.
In conclusion, Mr Zapcev made 26 recommendations to the school relating to governance, information privacy, staff recruitment, student safety, and to the curriculum.
A Registrar of Non-Government Schools spokesman said the school continues to work with the relevant government departments to address the recommendations in the investigation.
“We are committed to ensuring that long term viability issues are addressed and culturally appropriate teaching and learning programs continue at Yipirinya School,” they said.
More than 100 academics stand in solidarity with the school
An open letter has been signed by 104 university academics in support of the school, calling on the school not to make any staff redundant.
“Moves to cut staff will only punish the Aboriginal students, families, and employees and their supporters who have been through such a difficult time,” the open letter reads.
“According to school staff, it may force the school to close.
“This would be a tragic, devastating blow not only to the Aboriginal families, staff, and students of Yipirinya, but to Indigenous education across Australia.”
The letter penned by the academics also calls for the Territory government to provide more funding for the school.
“Moreover, control must be restored to the school’s Aboriginal-led leadership who are best placed to support their community and to understand the educational, social, health, and wellbeing needs of the Yipirinya students and their communities,” the letter reads.
Yipirinya was established in Alice Springs in 1978 by families from a number of town camps in Australia.
It specialises in “two-way” learning – teaching students in a multilingual curriculum featuring four of the local Indigenous languages: Central and Eastern Arrernte; Warlpiri; Luritja; and Western Arrernte.
A campaign to save Yipirinya School has also been launched in Alice Springs, with organisers behind the campaign expected to start a petition for the school, according to the Facebook page.
