More than a dozen Catholic primary schools in Sydney’s north shore and northern beaches will share their principal with another school in a move designed to keep fees low amid a sharp reduction in funding. Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
The Diocese of Broken Bay wrote to parents this week detailing how numerous principals would work across two schools under a leadership model which would boost collaboration with leaders to maintain a “meaningful presence” in each school.
Mr Casey said 14 smaller primary schools are expected to share a principal ranging from Manly to Avalon as well as schools further north to Berowra.
He said the arrangement aimed to make sure the investment is in the students “and not in unnecessary, perhaps, areas of leadership”.
New rules around school funding introduced five years ago began considering parents’ taxable income and their capacity to contribute to school fees. Mr Casey said as a result, the diocese saw a $90 million reduction in funding every year, particularly in Sydney’s north, a small fraction of which has been partially offset by the government’s choice and affordability funding.
Mr Casey said the funding situation made the viability of smaller schools “very difficult to maintain”.
He said the $90 million reduction in funding was equivalent to about $5000 per student.
He said in most cases the new arrangement aligned one principal with each parish’s two schools, and mirrored arrangements in other dioceses which had worked successfully.
He said parents could voice concerns and vowed that staff would “ring each person individually” to make sure concerns were fully addressed.
President of Parents and Friends Association at St John’s The Apostle in Narraweena, Chantelle Lewis, said they were never warned they faced losing a full-time principal.
Independent Education Union of Australia NSW/ACT branch secretary Carol Matthews issued a statement yesterday, saying the union “cannot see how this restructuring will benefit anyone”.
FULL STORY
Education boss to parents: Either share your principal, or pay $5000 extra a year (By Christopher Harris, SMH)
