School community to fight

By Thursday morning parents were planning a range of protests including a march on the home of Archbishop Christopher Prowse.

Principal Gaye McManus said it had been disappointing that the school had not been involved in the review process.

"It was a Catholic Education Commission decision. Mt Carmel School was not a part of the decision-making process," she told the Tribune.

School Board chair Lara Kirk said the community had been "galvanised like never before".

"We've got nothing to lose now," she said. "We're planning a community demonstration in Canberra."

Mrs McManus said it was clear to her that the school community was not prepared to take the decision lying down.

"Gauging community response… they think it's a bad decision, and we're fighting it.

"We have to act quickly," she added.

Mrs McManus said she had been inundated with support.

"We have received overwhelming support from the community already. The decision has actually mobilised the community into action.

"Everyone recognises that Mt Carmel is a part of the fabric of the Yass Valley community."

The impact on staff had been enormous, too, she said.

"This is a devastating decision for staff but we stick together. Everyone is united about it.

"The impact is on the secondary teachers but the whole staff is gutted by it."

She said the school deserved one more chance to prove itself. Both she and Mrs Kirk were arguing that the secondary school should be given one more year.

"We want to stay open forever. However, if our numbers don't meet the quota by February 2015, we will accept the decision [and close at the end of 2015].

"We need an opportunity to save our school. It has a long tradition of offering secondary schooling for the Yass Valley," Mrs McManus said.

She believed the decision to discontinue years 11 and 12 in the late 1970s had led to the gradual decline in numbers. But she felt the high school could be saved.

"The parents have to vote with their feet and put their children in chairs at Mt Carmel."

Mrs Kirk said the school offered an excellent educational environment. She said that she had been aware that enrolments were decreasing, but that the decision had still come "out of the blue".

"I feel bad that we haven't been more on the front foot," she told the Tribune.

Mrs McManus was still coming to terms with the news but said she was ultimately optimistic.

"We are hope-filled people and that's what sustains us. We're fighting for a better outcome for our community.

"Good things will come from this."