Catholic archdiocese weighs co-education for St Clare's amid student opposition

The Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Education Limited (CACGEL) has proposed converting St Clare’s College, a girls-only secondary school with more than six decades of history, to a co-educational model as one of three strategies to address rising demand for Catholic secondary education on Canberra’s south side. Alternatives include expanding existing sites or acquiring land in New South Wales. Year-12 students Brigid Norgrove and Abby Bartkowiak spearhead a pink-ribbon campaign, insisting that single-sex schooling uniquely benefits girls and fearing loss of opportunities in male-dominated subjects.

Parents such as Leigh Southwell echo the view, emphasizing the school’s role in empowering female leadership. CACGEL points to a recent survey of kindergarten-to-Year 5 parents and a wait-list of over 150 families at St Mary MacKillop College as evidence of unmet demand, while acknowledging limited land releases for new non-government schools in the ACT. Education Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith notes upcoming land parcels that could be offered. No changes are expected before 2028, and a formal community consultation is scheduled for early next year.