Three Catholic schools to link up in mega-merger

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Three Catholic schools in Melbourne’s east look set to merge, creating a new kinder to year 12 campus for about 1500 students.

The K-12 “education hub” plan includes St Timothy’s Primary School, Holy Saviour Parish Primary School and Emmaus Secondary College, all in Vermont South.

The three principals (from left): Anne Maree Jones of St Timothy’s Primary School, Steve Evans of Holy Saviour Parish Primary School and Karen Jebb of Emmaus Secondary College.Credit: Eddie Jim

Dr Mary Oski, director of learning and regional services at Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS), confirmed on Wednesday the sector was actively exploring the concept and the response to date had been “overwhelmingly positive”.

The move has angered parents at other Catholic schools due to close at the end of the year, who say they weren’t given the same option.

Four schools – St Bridget’s Catholic Primary School in Balwyn North, St John’s Primary School in Clifton Hill, St Joseph’s Primary School in Black Rock and St Mary Magdalen’s Parish School in Chadstone – will shut for good when term four finishes next month.

All Catholic campuses with fewer than 150 students were reviewed this year.

The schools set to close had more students than St Timothy’s, and all but one had more than Holy Saviour, which have avoided change until now. St Timothy’s has 50 students and Holy Saviour has 75.

Oski said various options were carefully considered before the closures were announced.

She said the merger proposal aligned with MACS’ obligation to respond to demographic change and use resources as effectively as possible across the archdiocese.

Vermont South school communities were informed of the proposal in a letter sent to parents last Thursday.

The school campuses are within a two-kilometre triangle. It is not yet known how the campuses would be split, or whether all three would be retained. If approved, the plan would go ahead in 2025.

“We are steadfast in our commitment to build a thriving, high-quality education system that meets the evolving needs of our students and parish communities,” Oski said. “This includes continuing to support schools with small student cohorts to flourish in a range of settings.”

Vicky Young, president of St John’s Clifton Hill Parents and Friends, said she was blindsided by MACS’ decision to protect schools in Vermont South while discarding others elsewhere.

She said a number of nearby schools could have provided merger options to ensure the future of St John’s, which will close after more than 100 years on December 15.

Parents and students of St John’s Primary in Clifton Hill in August.Credit: Eddie Jim

Young’s daughter is St John’s outgoing school captain. She also has a son in year 3. Both will leave the Catholic system next year.

“Our faith in the Catholic education system has been completely rocked,” she said. “There was no trust that we wouldn’t be dealing with the same situation again.”

Young said MACS had offered little support after the “tokenistic” review process. Appeals from the school had since fallen on deaf ears. She said it was clear the review’s outcomes were preconceived, despite the school meeting four out of five criteria.

“There was no discussion from MACS about anything other than a complete shutdown.”

Demand for Catholic education is growing strongly in Melbourne’s northern and western corridors, where MACS has opened 12 schools since 2018 and now educates more than 4750 students.

Seven new schools are planned to open over the next three years in identified growth areas.

Enrolments across MACS’ 296 primary and secondary schools have increased by 1329 students, or 1.2 per cent this year, up from 113,078 in 2022. The Catholic sector accounts for about 20 per cent of all Victorian students.

Anne Maree Jones, principal of St Timothy’s, said the proposed merger would allow her school to access the facilities and specialised services of a large school, while maintaining the personalised approach of a small school community.

Emmaus College principal Karen Jebb said she was excited by the prospect of a “seamless K-12 educational journey” for local families.

“Collaboration between the three school communities will be key to the success of this proposal.”

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