The Age newspaper reported that Mowbray College, a private school in the Western suburbs of Melbourne, has announced that it's $18M in debt and have called in the Administrators. The story continues, staff, pupils & parents fear the school could close by the end of 2012 and are currently seeking State & Federal Government money to help reduce it's debt and remain open.
The Age article
Just my 2c.
1. How did the school board, administrators, auditors, anyone for that matter, connected with the school, allow it to get so heavily in debt before alarm bells were sounded? Extraordinary.
2. More importantly, why are Governments, State or Federal, even considering bailing this school out with tax payers money!? The story suggests State Government has already ploughed several million dollars into the school already.
I have two children who attend our local state primary school and we are thrilled with the education they are receiving. Everyone connected with the school are first class and the children absolutely love it there. That being said, the school is very old and the money which is generated (internally it should be noted) is just enough to ensure essential maintenance is taken care of, and certainly doesn't provide enough for those 'nice to haves' resources. So, Mr STATE PREMIER, let me just say that a regardless of how unfortunate it is for the pupils of this financially stricken school, tax payers money should be spent on PUBLIC schools only. My local school would think, metaphorically, they'd died and were in heaven, if they received a cheque from the education department for even a fraction of the cash reportedly already invested into the doomed Mowbray College.
Non State schools are run and operated as a business and therefore should be self supporting.
