Students at Sacred Heart Primary School in Yarrawonga, and throughout the Sandhurst diocese, will learn from scripted classes using slide shows as a result of sweeping changes made under Magnify Sandhurst. Photo: Sacred Heart Primary School.
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Sacred Heart Primary School
Two years ago, Yarrawonga’s Sacred Heart Primary School was among the top performing Catholic primary schools in the diocese with a 97 per cent staff retention rate over 10 years.
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Now staff numbers are being slashed, and educators and parents are both anxious and angry over mandatory changes under the direction of Catholic Education Sandhurst Limited (CESL).
Sacred Heart Primary School expects to lose seven of its 12 learning support officers, which heavily impacts neurodiverse students and those with learning difficulties.
Class sizes are expected to increase under a directive instructing teachers how and what to teach, using slides and scripted teaching.
In a letter to families at Sacred Heart College, which is understood to have been written by the diocese executive, co-principals Fleur Linehan and Karen Kaine said Catholic schools across Victoria were navigating a changing financial environment due to the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement delivering a 28.3 per cent wage increase to teachers and staff, and to funding changes for students with additional needs.
Last week, the Parents of Catholic Education Sandhurst Facebook page grew from 300 members to 1200 as parents and teachers grapple with the realities.
At the heart of the issue lies Magnify Sandhurst, promoted as a “whole system change”, and being universally mandated in schools across the diocese.
One teacher who spoke to the Yarrawonga Chronicle described CESL’s handling of the changes as like a “dictatorship” and was in fear of being sacked if they spoke out.
Catholic Education Sandhurst limited executive director, Kate Fogarty is implementing ‘whole system change’ across the diocese’ Catholic schools. Photo Catholic Education Sandhurst Limited.
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Catholic Education Sandhurst Limited
An insider, who wished to remain anonymous, but with insight into the issues and 20 years background in education across multiple sectors, told the Yarrawonga Chronicle the changes in no way reflected Sacred Heart Primary School, but came directly from CESL and its executive director, Kate Fogarty.
“In Yarrawonga, teachers and students are doing the best they can under really poor system leadership,” they said.
“About two years ago, Kate Fogarty was appointed as new executive director of Catholic Education Sandhurst and introduced the Magnifier concept.
“It is essentially whole-scale change for the entire system where every school has to operate the same way, regardless of performance,” the informant said.
Sacred Heart Primary School in Yarrawonga is leading the diocese in many aspects of performance.
Despite that, they said teachers now had to teach to a script, with a provided slideshow to talk to.
“There’s absolutely no teacher agency, no professional judgement,” the informant said.
“Every teacher must teach the same way, and it’s been made very clear that you are either on the bus or they’ll get rid of you; staff are afraid to speak out.”
This post on Parents of Catholic Education Sandhurst Facebook page summed up the feeling among Learning Support Officers who have lost their jobs.
The changes coincide with a $30 million development by the Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst in Bendigo, expected to be completed next year.
Cathedral Square will house the new headquarters for the diocese and Catholic Education Sandhurst, with landscaped parklands, gardens and terraces, a new parish hall and retail spaces.
“It has now turned into ‘we haven't got any money and we're sacking LSOs’, so the learning support officers in schools are being halved, and more in some instances,” the informant said.
“Cleaning companies, carpet cleaners and others with contracts have also been told they are out of money.
“I’ve been in the education game for more than 20 years, and I’ve never seen such absolutely appalling system leadership.”
A spokesperson from CESL said careful work was underway to accommodate the upcoming Enterprise Bargaining Agreement, which will deliver well-deserved wage increases for teachers and staff, and changes in the way the Federal Government was assessing eligibility for NCCD funding for students with additional needs.
Planning is still underway and staffing arrangements across the diocese have not been finalised, but CESL is reviewing Learning Support Officer (LSO) staffing.
“CESL schools have historically employed LSOs at levels well beyond those funded through NCCD,” the spokesperson said.
“We are working towards bringing our staffing models closer to those seen across government and independent schools, while ensuring support remains targeted to student needs.
“Magnify provides teachers with shared, evidence-informed practices and high-quality curriculum resources, while still relying on their professional judgement to meet the needs of the students in front of them.
“It balances professional autonomy with the growing body of evidence about the practices most likely to improve learning outcomes for students.”
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