Merici College agrees to meet with 'disappointed' parents left shortchanged by tour company collapse

Merici College Canberra will finally meet with parents left out of pocket by the collapse of a tour operator who partnered with the school to run educational camps, with some parents intending to ask the school for fee relief.

Some 32 Merici families paid deposits or instalments of up to $9000 for Actura Austalia trips to NASA in the US or to the Great Barrier Reef. But after the sudden liquidation of this company on 14 June 2024, they were told scheduled trips were cancelled and they’d receive no refunds.

More than 600 students from schools across Australia and New Zealand were also left out of pocket, including seven from St Clare’s College. A liquidator’s report revealed Actura owed creditors more than $17 million.

Last Friday (28 June), Region reported Merici parents were upset with the “radio silence” and the “apathetic” attitude of the school. Later that day, Deputy Principal Nicola McLennan sent parents an email telling them school management would meet with them in the first week of Term 3 when Principal Anna Masters returned from study leave.

“Merici College will meet parents affected by the collapse of Actura Australia on 23 July to discuss ways we can further support these families,” Ms McLennan told Region.

“We will address questions directly with parents and we have engaged with all parents who have contacted us.”

Three Merici parents who spoke to Region say they remain upset with the school.

“The liquidation occurred on 14 June. Irrespective of Ms Masters being away, a meeting on 23 July is a ridiculous proposal for something that happened six weeks ago,” parent Dr Spendlove said.

“I’ve received no personalised contact whatsoever from Merici, which is extremely disappointing.”

Felicity Harris, a mother owed $9000 for her daughter’s planned 2025 trip to NASA, wants compensation from the school.

“I’m going to formally ask for shared responsibility and for half of it to be refunded by the school through fee relief,” she said.

Other parents told Region they would make similar requests.

The Catholic school promoted the Actura programs as “our” tours on its official Facebook page. It also recommended the trips to parents in emails, informing them Merici was “partnering” with the tour operator.

Region asked Ms McLennan if the school had a contract with Actura or received payments from the company.

“Merici College does not have a contract with Actura Australia and received no payments from the company,” she said.

A Region investigation has revealed the NSW Government schools’ regulator, the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), withdrew Actura’s endorsed provider status in 2020, the same year the company received complaints from parents who did not get promised refunds after Actura cancelled tours due to COVID.

Another parent, Ms Mclaughlin, wants the administrative body Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn (CECG) to take responsibility.

“We put a lot of faith in the Catholic Education Office for this trip that was promoted through the school. Catholic Education should have been all over this. If the NSW Government disendorsed Actura in 2020, then the schools should not have let students go on tours last year,” she said.

Merici College and CECG did not answer questions from Region on what background checks it did on Actura before allowing it to sell its product in the school.

Documents filed with the federal business regulator revealed Actura Australia’s parent company, Actura International, was based in the tiny East African nation Seychelles – widely regarded as a tax haven.

“We are managing a very upset teenage daughter who was meant to go on her expedition on Monday. We are now stuck with nothing for her to do in the school holidays. Given the short timeframe, we were not able to book another holiday,” Ms Mclaughlin said.

“My daughter has been asking the questions of ‘that’s not fair, why did our trip get cancelled? Why did they steal our money’.”

The NSW Department of Education will be refunding public school students in its state that were left out of pocket by Actura.

Region asked the ACT Education Directorate if it would assist Canberra families impacted by the liquidation and if it was responsible for vetting Actura before it was allowed to sell its product in Canberra schools.

“The Education Directorate has no records of a formal engagement of services with Actura Australia,” a spokesperson said.

“The Education Directorate does not provide a regulatory function for endorsing Actura Australia or any other external provider for school excursions in either government and non-government schools.”

The NSW Department of Education refused to explain why it decided to refund NSW public schools students left shortchanged by Actura.

On 21 June, Region asked the department whether it endorsed Actura or if it did checks on the company before it allowed it to sell its tours in NSW schools. The department has still not responded.