Yipirinya School staff fight potential redundancies as AISNT says ‘reductions may be required’
‘Reductions may be required’ at an Alice Springs school where up to 20 staff are facing the axe, one Territory association says, as a petition against redundancies gathers support. Read the latest.
Staff at an independent Alice Springs school are calling for a government appointed statutory manager to return control to the school’s Aboriginal board in a bid to stave off of up to 20 redundancies – but the Territory’s independent school association says “reductions” at the school “may be required”.
Yipirinya School staff have put their demands in an online petition, which at the time of writing had close to 170 signatories in support.
In their petition, the school staff allege the redundancies are targeting long term Aboriginal support staff, “who form the cultural backbone of the school,” the petition states.
Stuart Reid, the government appointed manager to the independent school, announced the proposed redundancies Wednesday last week, with school staff now demanding all proposed redundancies be halted immediately.
In his letter to staff on Wednesday, Mr Reid said the redundancies are “in no way a reflection on the performance, conduct or personality of the individual holding the position”.
The staff are also calling on emergency funding for the school; for the government to commit to a long term funding model which “reflects the unique needs” of the school and students; and for the Aboriginal board to regain full control of the board, the petition states.
NT education minister Jo Hersey is not willing to provide emergency funding for the school, this masthead understands, while federal Indigenous Australians minister Malarndirri McCarthy has previously said the federal government is “engaging with the school on its financial situation”.
The school’s board was relegated to an advisory capacity in June this year when Mr Reid was appointed statutory manager at the school by the NT government.
Yipirinya School gets funding from the government per enrolled students at the school, but Mr Reid told staff on Wednesday that the school has to pay back $3.7 million to the Australian government due to fewer students being enrolled at the school compared to the previous year.
On Monday, Mr Reid said no decision has been made on any redundancies yet, and also said the statutory manager does “not manage the day to day operations of the school”.
“Rather, such operations are managed by the principal and senior leadership team,” he said.
While under statutory administration, Yipirinya School has been directing all comment to Mr Reid.
Ms Hersey has been contacted for further comment.
In a statement, the Association of Independent Schools of the Northern Territory (AISNT) executive director Cheryl Slater said the association has been supporting the school by “providing support through strategic, sector-level advice”.
“This includes guidance on governance, compliance and sustainability, with the learning and wellbeing of students at the forefront of all discussions. Operational decisions, including staffing, remain solely with the statutory manager,” she said.
However, “as staffing levels are directly tied to enrolment-generated funding, reductions may be required to maintain financial viability,” Ms Slater said.
“These decisions are being carefully considered by the statutory manager.
“AISNT acknowledges the dedication and commitment of Yipirinya’s teachers and support staff to the children and community they serve. AISNT also has confidence in the statutory manager’s leadership to stabilise the school, address financial challenges, and ensure full compliance with regulatory requirements.
“AISNT remains confident in the school’s future and does not consider closure to be an imminent risk.
“All efforts remain focused on ensuring Yipirinya continues to serve the Alice Springs community, with students’ needs at the centre of every decision.”
Academics have also come to the support of the school, with 146 signatories now signing an open letter calling on the redundancies to be halted.
Among the academics to sign is Dr Archie Thomas, a Sydney-based academic who’s worked on a history of the school, due to be published next year.
“As well as providing that unique curriculum, the school also provides a number of services for children, you know, like food and transport and so on, and access to quality of schooling that is really unmatched,” he said.
“The cuts that have been proposed risk the future of the school and I think that would be a real tragedy for Indigenous education, not just in Alice Springs but around Australia.”
Originally published as Yipirinya School staff fight potential redundancies as AISNT says ‘reductions may be required’
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