Christian Brothers announces major changes to its Victorian schools

A grovelling letter has been sent to parents detailing a huge shake up in the way a number of top schools are run. See the letter.

Exclusive: The Christian Brothers have been forced to set up a new governing body for their Victorian schools.

The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority ordered sweeping reforms, which were detailed in a letter sent to parents on Wednesday afternoon.

Now known as Edmund Rice Education Australia, the Christian Brothers movement made a grovelling apology to parents.

The governing body has been forced to set up a new company – EREA Victorian Schools Ltd – to run its Victorian schools, with the VRQA also ordering it to justify the fees charged.

The schools affected include: Parade College, St Bernard’s College, St Joseph’s College, Geelong; St Joseph’s Flexible Learning Centres, North Melbourne, Geelong and Colac; St Mary’s College, East St Kilda; and St Patrick’s College, Ballarat.

St Kevin’s College, Toorak, will split into a new separate entity.

Parade College is one of the schools impacted.

“These reforms, which the Trustees of EREA has agreed to effect, will enable the Victorian schools to be more independently governed,” EREA chair Philomena Billington wrote to parents.

The schools run by the Christian Brothers were ordered in 2020 to clean up its child safety standards.

They were given a deadline to clean up their act but failed.

Ms Billington detailed the VRQA’s reasons for its requirements in the letter.

“The Notice has advised that the conditions were being imposed because the Trustees of EREA:

• Had not carried out our obligations under the required Child Safe Standards (known as Ministerial Order 1359) or structured our governance in a way that met our legal responsibilities, including providing a duty of care to students;

• Did not comply with the timelines agreed in the 2020 enforceable undertaking; and

• Had not demonstrated appropriate oversight of child safety at Victorian schools,” the letter said.

A letter from Edmund Rice Education Australia sent to parents at seven Catholic schools in Victoria.

The letter was sent on Wednesday afternoon.

“The Notice also stated that it was in the public interest to ensure that the Trustees of EREA comply with the Minimum Standards as a foundation for quality schools in Victoria.”

A KPMG report had found the Christian Brothers body had failed students in its handling of child safety standards.

Ms Billington told the Herald Sun that it was “with sincere regret that the changes

we have made over recent years have not sufficiently addressed the requirements of the

VRQA.

“We will continue to work with school leadership teams to provide updates and support as

this situation progresses,” she said.

Originally published as Christian Brothers announces major changes to its Victorian schools