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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023 ... oys-girls/103168862 Group of Newington College parents threaten legal action after all boys' school announces plan to enrol girls By Jean Kennedy Posted 13h ago13 hours ago, updated 8h ago A group of parents from Sydney's Newington College has threatened legal action over a decision by the school to turn co-educational. Key points: Newington College announced last week it would turn fully co-ed by 2033 Some parents argued the school was intended to educate boys and young men only A legal letter was sent to the college's chairman and stakeholders on Wednesday The private boys' school in Sydney's inner west last week announced plans to introduce girls from 2026, and become fully co-ed by 2033. It sparked immediate opposition from some, with an online petition launched calling for a reversal of the decision. Now some parents, including some "old boys" of the college, who have students at the school and "parents have concerns as to the announcement" have enlisted commercial law firm Brown Wright Stein to try to fight the move. A letter written by the lawyers to the chairman of the Council of Newington College, and obtained by the ABC, challenges the college's legal right of the school to enrol girls based on its "general objects" which date back to when it was established in 1873. It argues the school's council as the trustee of a charitable trust does not have the power to change the original purpose for establishing Newington College, which it says "was to educate boys and young men". It also questions whether the move to become co-ed breaches the terms of the trust. The letter says that the college website shows "it is clear that the college was conceived as ... open to the sons of parents of all religious denominations". "The college upon its inception, was intended to be (and has been) a college in particular for the advancement of education of boys and young men," it says. "Upon establishment of the college (and indeed the establishment of the charitable trust of which the council holds property), it was never contemplated that girls and young women would be educated by the college". It says the school also the college received funding from government sources and made representations to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission as an institution educating boys and "males students". Parents request documents about enrolment change Lawyers for the parents have also sent the letter to the state's Attorney-General Michael Daley, the Synod of the Uniting Church and the president of the "Old Newingtonians Union". "We have included the attorney-general of New South Wales, on the basis that the attorney-general is the protector of charitable trust, and that in the event that proceedings are to be commenced, then the attorney-general is to provide approval and will be a necessary defendant," the letter reads. "We will be separately corresponding with the attorney-general (again as the protector of charities) with respect to the possible commencement of 'charitable trust proceedings'." The letter also requests documents related to the change and acknowledged reports "enrolments have been open for girls and young women". "We suggest that if it is the case that the purposes for which the council holds property are limited to the advancement of education of boys and young men (and does not extend to girls and young women), with the result that any use of such purposes outside of the purpose being in breach of trust, then any liability that arises as a result of representations made by the council and acceptance of enrolments by the council ought to be a matter considered by the council." The school declined to comment. Howevern the school's website the Newington College council chairman Tony McDonald said there had been an "overwhelmingly positive " response to the announcement about going co-ed. "We also appreciate that there are some in our community who disagree with this decision," he said . "We appreciate that everyone is entitled to their view, however we know that the best interests of Newington and its students in the future is co-educational and one that prepares all our students for an enriching, positive and thriving future, beyond their time as school." Education minister encourages an 'open mind' on co-ed schools Ian Webster, an "old boy" and former member of Newington College council, told RN Breakfast there were many reasons why he opposed the transition. He said there would be a "massive disruption to facilities", huge costs involved, an "impact for bequests that have been promised", and provides parents who want to send their children to an all-boys school with less choice. Mr Webster also said there was "no demonstrable educational advantage" for boys to a co-ed school over a single-sex school. "It suits some children, it doesn't suit others," he said. "This is an issue about Newington College, it's not a commentary on co-ed generally." Education Minister Prue Car urged parents to be open about the potential change to a single-sex school. "There really is an argument for choice in terms of parents wanting co-ed education, we're certainly seeing that in the government system," she told RN Breakfast. "The best way is to go off what the community wants." Ms Car said the most important part of transitioning a single-sex school to a co-ed school was having extensive consultation with parents, which the college was doing. "I believe Newington have engaged in quite a lot of consultation with prospective parents, that's the right way to go about it in our opinion," she said. When asked about whether boys and girls benefited more from a single-sex or a co-ed school, Ms Car said there was "mixed evidence". 悉尼纽因顿学院的一群家长威胁要对学校决定全面实行男女同校提起法律诉讼。 要点： 纽因顿学院上周宣布将在2033年前完全实行男女同校。 一些家长认为该学校本意只为男孩和年轻男性提供教育。 律师于上周三向学院董事会主席和利益相关者发送了一封法律信函。 悉尼市内西部的这所私立男子学校上周宣布计划从2026年开始招收女生，并在2033年前完全实行男女同校。 这立刻引起了一些人的反对，一份在线请愿书呼吁撤销这一决定。 现在一些家长，包括一些学校的“老男生”，他们在学校有学生并且“对该公告表示关切”的家长们，已经聘请商业律师事务所Brown Wright Stein，试图反对这一决定。 律师写给纽因顿学院董事会主席的一封信，被澳大利亚广播公司（ABC）获取，对学校基于其“总体目标”（追溯至1873年建立时）招收女生的法定权利提出质疑。 该信辩称，作为慈善信托的受托人，学校董事会无权改变建立纽因顿学院最初目的，即“教育男孩和年轻男性”。 信中还质疑学校实行男女同校是否违反了信托的条款。 信中表示，学校的网站显示“学院明确是……对所有宗教信仰的父母的儿子开放的”。 “学院在创立时就被设想为（而且一直是）专门为男孩和年轻男性提高教育水平的学院，”信中写道。 “在学院成立时（实际上是在理事会拥有财产的慈善信托成立时），从未考虑过学院将对女孩和年轻女性进行教育”。 信中指出，学校还从政府来源获得资金，并向澳大利亚慈善和非盈利机构委员会陈述自己是一所教育男孩和“男性学生”的机构。 家长要求有关入学变化的文件 家长的律师还将这封信寄给了该州总检察长迈克尔·戴利（Michael Daley）、联合教会理事会和“老纽因顿人协会”的主席。 “我们将新南威尔士州总检察长纳入，因为总检察长是慈善信托的保护者，如果要提起诉讼，那么总检察长需要提供批准并成为必要的被告，”信中写道。 “我们将与总检察长单独通信（同样作为慈善事业的保护者），就可能启动‘慈善信托诉讼’的可能性进行沟通。” 信中还要求有关这一变化的文件，并承认“已经向女孩和年轻女性开放了入学”。 “我们建议，如果理事会持有财产的目的仅限于提高男孩和年轻男性的教育水平（不包括女孩和年轻女性），以至于任何超出这一目的的使用都违反了信托，那么理事会对其陈述和对其接受入学的承诺所产生的任何责任都应该由理事会考虑的事项。” 学校拒绝置评。 然而，在学校的网站上，纽因顿学院理事会主席托尼·麦克唐纳表示，有关学校全面实行男女同校的公告得到了“压倒性的积极”回应。 他说：“我们也意识到我们社区中有一些人不同意这一决定。” “我们理解每个人都有自己的看法，然而我们知道，对纽因顿及其未来学生最有利的是男女同校，这样可以为我们所有的学生提供一个丰富、积极和繁荣的未来，超越他们在学校的时光。” 教育部长鼓励对男女同校学校持“开放的态度” 伊恩·韦伯斯特是一位“老男生”和前纽因顿学院理事会成员，他告诉RN早餐节目，他反对这一转变有很多原因。 他表示，这将对设施造成“巨大的干扰”，涉及巨大的成本，对已经承诺的捐赠产生“影响”，并给那些想把孩子送到男子学校的家长提供了更少的选择。 韦伯斯特还表示，对于男孩到男女同校学校的教育，没有“可以证明的教育优势”。 他说：“这适合一些孩子，对其他孩子则不适用。” “这是关于纽因顿学院的问题，而不是对男女同校的一般性评论。” 教育部长普鲁·卡尔敦促家长对单性学校转变为男女同校持开放态度。 她告诉RN早餐节目：“父母想要男女同校教育，确实存在这样的争论，我们在政府系统中确实看到了这一点。” “最好的方式是根据社区的需求去做。” 卡尔女士表示，将单性学校转变为男女同校的最重要部分是与家长进行广泛的磋商，而该学院正在这样做。 她说：“我相信纽因顿已经与潜在父母进行了相当多的磋商，这是我们认为正确的方式。” 在被问及男孩和女孩在单性学校或男女同校中哪一个更受益时，卡尔女士表示，“有着参差不齐的证据”。 |
