Schools reject funding offer

Private schools in West Gippsland have rejected a Federal Government funding offer to get students back into classrooms within weeks.

Chairo Christian School and Catholic schools across the region will continue to follow the state government’s lead and advice on when students should return to school.

The Federal Government last week offered independent and Catholic schools early access to annual funding if they committed to having at least half their students back at school by June 1.

The $3 billion funding offer for schools across Australia was described by many as a bribe.

But federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said it was a response to a plunge in enrolments and income for many private sector schools as a result of COVID-19.

Mr Tehan said a number of independent schools had called for a federal government bailout to help them deal with an unexpected drop in enrolments and therefore a loss of revenue

Chairo Christian School and the Catholic Education Office confirmed their schools had not incurred a drop in enrolments and would not be taking up the offer of early funding.

Primary and secondary student families at Chairo and within the Catholic sector were offered fee relief assistance when the impact of COVID-19 began to unfold.

Chairo executive principal Simon Matthews said they would return to face-to-face teaching at all campuses on the advice of the premier and chief health officer.

“While online and remote learning falls short of face-toface teaching in some ways, I am exceptionally pleased with the wonderful effort of our students, families and staff members,” he said.

Mr Matthews said enrolments had not been impacted. He said the school promptly offered some fee relief to all families, plus additional support to families facing financial hardship.

“While the pandemic has impacted Chairo in much the same way as countless businesses and not-for-profit organisations across Australia, we have been able to adjust our budget for the year in ways that allow us to continue to employ all staff members and provide quality online and remote learning for every student.,” Mr Matthews said.

Sale Diocese director of Catholic education Maria Kirkwood said remote learning would continue at primary and secondary schools.

“At this point the preference is to get children back to school but we will continue to take advice from the Victorian government and Victorian chief health officer.

“We will continue to take that advice and continue with remote learning until that advice changes,” she said.

Ms Kirkwood said it took a few weeks to students to settle into remote learning but the system was working well across all their schools.

She said they had recorded no loss of enrolments.

“We were on the front foot early to make sure that families know we would provide fee relief on a case by case basis. Getting that out early ensured families felt safe and supported by their schools,” she said.

The Gazette contacted St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School on several occasions, but principal Cameron Herbert did not provide a response.