St Patrick's College proprietors issue letter about child safety standards

St Patrick's College principal Steven O'Connor said there would be no staff changes at the school as a result of the governance structure shift, and reassured the community about the school's child safety standards.

"The issues that are being addressed through the process between the EREA and the VRQA are more at a governance level," he said.

"Certainly as the letter clearly affirms, the procedures, policies and practices of St Patrick's are absolutely 100 per cent safe."

Mr O'Connor said the school would undergo audit by VRQA within the year, but such audits were standard for Victorian schools every five years regardless of governance changes.

He said St Patrick's remained committed to growth as a school, are reaffirmed the school's policy and procedures.

"What we are saying to our parents is honest and truthful and it is that there are no concerns about the practices, policies and procedures at St Pat's," he said.

"St Pat's is really proud of what we are doing, with and for our students. There is great strength in our network, in terms of being an Edmund Rice school. We always are looking for ways of improving what we do, and I think that would be true of any school."

EARLIER:

The national education organisation which oversees schools such as Ballarat's St Patrick's College has written a apologetic letter to school parents informing them of its failure to meet child safety standards.

The letter, issued on Wednesday, details how trustees of Edmund Rice Education Australia entered into an "enforceable undertaking" with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority - to make changes to shortcomings in the schools' governance structures.

Edmund Rice Education Australia is the proprietor of seven schools in Victoria, including St Patrick's College, Parade College,St Kevin's College, St Bernard's College and St Joseph's College.

The letter states that Edmund Rice Education Australia were unable to address the organisation shortcomings identified by VRQA within the required timeframe, prompting a reform in governance structure.

"The VRQA withdrew its acceptance of the enforceable undertaking and I received a Notice on 30 January 2023 from the VRQA imposing four conditions on the Victorian schools," Edmund Rice Education Australia chair Philomena Billington said in the letter.

"The conditions require the Trustees of EREA to reform the EREA governance structure. These reforms, which the trustees of EREA has agreed to effect, will enable the Victorian schools to be more independently governed in a way that will meet the requirements of the Minimum Standards."

IN THE NEWS

Under the reforms, EREA Victorian Schools Pty Ltd - a subsidiary company established by the Trustees of Edmund Rice Education Australia - will become the new proprietor of all Victorian schools, including St Patrick's, except St Kevin's.

The organisation will also be required to provide the VRQA and Catholic Education Commission of Victoria with information of how its school fees are calculated and applied - with proof the fees are "necessary and fair".

Each of the schools will also be required to partake in a review conducted by the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria.

Ms Billington reassured parents in the letter that they will not notice much differences on the ground level as a result of these organisation changes.

The Courier has contacted St Patrick's College for questions.

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