10 January 2025

Parents anxious as Berry still to decide on future of Brindabella Christian College

| Ian Bushnell
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Brindabella Christian College

The future of Brindabella Christian College remains up in the air. Photo: Michelle Kroll.

ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry is yet to decide what action, if any, will be taken against Brindabella Christian College (BCC) over its ongoing governance and financial issues.

This is despite Ms Berry saying she expected to make a decision before Christmas.

Christmas has come and gone, and the start of the 2025 term is only a few weeks away.

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A spokesperson for Ms Berry told Region that the situation had not changed since the college proprietor, Brindabella Christian Education Limited (BCEL), provided information demanded of it by the minister and the registrar of non-government schools after being issued an ultimatum in September to show proof of the school’s financial viability and governance standards.

“Regulatory action has been taken to ensure BCC is meeting the standards required of non-government schools and to provide certainty to the ACT Government that they will meet those standards in the future,” the spokesperson said.

“This regulatory process is still underway. The ACT government is closely monitoring the situation.”

But the government spokesperson did not say if the minister had received the registrar’s advice or if she had decided on a course of action.

The school’s reform group said today (10 January) that the ongoing uncertainty was affecting parents and called for clarity from the minister.

“Over the Christmas holiday period, we’ve had anxious parents reaching out for information around the status of the school’s operations for 2025,” it told Region.

“We’ve also noticed an increase in activity on the reformbcc.org website.

“Parents are looking for trust and confidence in their education provider and despite seemingly endless opportunities, BCEL has shown it is not able to provide that.

“The school community is asking for change, and reform of the governance is needed one way or another. We hope the minister has heard the community and gives clarity and timelines for any action she intends to take.”

The registrar and Registration Standards Advisory Board has been weighing BCEL’s response and liaising with the Australian Government, which provides $10 million a year in funding.

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Before Christmas, unionised staff at the college called on all board members of the private Lyneham-based school to resign as dozens of their colleagues voted with their feet amid the ongoing uncertainty.

The Independent Education Union members wrote to the board claiming it had habitually failed to meet its financial obligations and that the antagonistic leadership of chair Greg Zwajgenberg was driving staff away from the school and alienating the school community.

Reform BCC wrote to Ms Berry before Christmas, saying it was increasingly concerned about alleged persecutory rhetoric from Mr Zwajgenberg’s, which failed to address governance and financial issues.

“We are concerned that his ongoing messaging and disinformation campaign may further negatively affect the viability of the school as well as the wellbeing of students, parents and staff at BCC,” Reform BCC said.

It also backed the staff members’ call for the immediate removal of all current board members and constitutional reform, and urged a ban on directors’ access to school funds and immediate intervention from regulatory and oversight bodies.

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The Minister should ask BCCL to lodge their overdue audited accounts with the Australian Charities and Not For Profit Commission and we then can all see what they have spent money on and how much they owe the banks and the ATO. When the lodge their overdue accounts for the 2023 year (1/1/23 to 31/12/23) it can be found at https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities/59ad763f-38af-e811-a961-000d3ad24182/documents/

J a c k d a w11:21 am 13 Jan 25

ABC ACT News recently reported that –
“The largest increase in fees at [ACT] independent schools is at Brindabella Christian College, where a year 10 education will increase more than 16 per cent to $15,400.”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-09/act-school-fees-for-private-schools-take-a-leap/104794800

Earlier, the BCC_Reform group website publicly warned Parents to consider that the “BCC 2024 enrolment contract allows for notice of student withdrawal for 2025 without financial penalty up to 6 January.”

Of course, Minister Berry’s has failed to act conclusively: firstly before her own xmas 2024 target passed, and now not before the BCEL’s 6 January deadline for Parents.

So now, Parents who have paid their own good money into BCEL for a 2025 “Christian” education, are stuck with the consequences, whatever may happen next.

In the circumstances, I cannot credit that Minister Berry will dare to shut down BCC. Could a Berry-appointed BCC Administration be substituted ? The tens of missions of public subsidies presumably are doled out in on-going monthly instalments.

As a federal taxpayer and an ACT ratepayer, I’d like to see Minister Berry put my money into other independent hands so that the BCC might continue. The Parents and the students and the BCC teachers and ancillary staff deserve normal education/employment security.
The ACT government cannot suddenly dump 1,000 students into the school system elsewhere.

Minister Berry seems to be struggling to do a Solomon.
Regrettably, she just does not seem up to her task.
Whenever will Barr dare to hack his Gordian knot ?

Is the longstanding BCC/BCEL executive to remain a publicly-funded pseudo-Cult ?

Yet again our ACT government does nothing!

I don’t see what the public see in Berry.

If you look at the Cumulative Adverse Findings 2019 – 2024 graphic on http://www.reformbcc.org you would have to wonder how BCC is allowed to continue operating!

Canberra Gal1:08 pm 10 Jan 25

Parents need certainty and BCEL Board needs to be held accountable for flouting planning laws, non compliance with government imposed conditions and ongoing financial mismanagement. Enough is enough!

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