Parents, taxpayers deserve answers in Brindabella Christian College saga

Amid escalating debts and a lack of transparency over decisions, parents and the taxpayer deserve answers on how their money is being spent.

This week the entity which runs the school, Brindabella Christian Education Limited, was in a hearing at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal where it was appealing a decision by the federal Education Minister.

The minister decided in 2021 the charity was not fit and proper to be an approved entity to run a school and there were doubts over the financial viability of the school.

The school has spent almost two years fighting this decision and the conditions that were imposed, including that there be an independent review of its finances and governance structure.

In that time, three firms have examined the school's accounts and confirmed there are significant risks to its ongoing viability.

We now know the school made a $3 million loss in 2020 and the unaudited 2021 accounts indicate a further $2.1 million loss.

The school also has a multi-million dollar debt with the Australian Tax Office, has failed to pay PAYG withholding and has not lodged business activity statements on time.

It has racked up a significant legal bill in its pursuit of parents who have not paid penalties when they have withdrawn their children from the school. Large amounts of money have also gone towards workers' compensation payments and unfair dismissal cases.

Parents and taxpayers deserve to know how their money is being spent and how those decisions are being made.

Private schools get 80 per cent of recurrent funding from the Commonwealth government and 20 per cent from the territory.

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They also get public funding for grants which are designated for specific projects.

As a society, we accept the government supports the education of every child, no matter if they attend a private or public school.

In return for financial support from taxpayers, private schools should have a duty to show they are being responsible with their finances and making decisions in the best interests of students.

The rest of a private school's revenue largely comes from the fees it charges to parents.

Families at Brindabella Christian College may well be wondering what portion their fees are going towards the education of their children and what portion is being dedicated to legal fees or other expenses.

This case has highlighted the various regulators - including the ACT Education Directorate, federal Education Department, Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission and ACT Human Rights Commission - have not been effective in bringing the issues to a head and ensuring the school complies with relevant legislation and regulations.

These government bodies need to promptly step into action based on the revelations of the last week to restore community confidence.

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