Inside the Newington College old boys’ meeting on Wednesday night.Credit: Lucy Carroll
In an email to members earlier in the week, the ONU executive told its members a no-confidence vote in the old boys’ union board would therefore be presented as a plebiscite rather than a formal resolution.
“If the plebiscite indicates a majority has no confidence in the current ONU council, the executive will initiate steps for a new council election to be held as soon as feasibly possible”, the email said.
However, about an hour into the meeting, the executive agreed that all five original resolutions could be voted on.
More than 440 proxy votes were submitted, while the delayed start to the meeting meant vote counting ran overnight. A third party, Link Market Services, was engaged to count and verify votes.
Some former students, including former Fortescue Metals Group executive Peter Thomas, travelled from interstate to cast their votes in person.
In a letter to parents last month, Newington’s council chairman Tony McDonald said a “discrete group” of alumni was trying to undermine the college by attempting to pass votes of no confidence in the school.
In a separate email to ex-pupils, a group of 20 former Newington students who now work at the school said that the motions proposed symbolised “a direct threat to the ONU’s philosophy around inclusion, respect and positive relationship-building within the community”.
Parents and former Newington College students protested outside the Stanmore campus last month following an announcement that the school would become co-ed.Credit: Kate Geraghty
“The protests, the intensification of media scrutiny, the public challenging of our headmaster, council and the projected coup of the ONU are all forces that undermine staff, affecting the college’s reputation,” the email said.
Dallas Morgan, a representative of the Save Newington Group, a coalition of parents and alumni lobbying the school to have co-ed reversed, said many alumni were opposed to the school’s decision.
“They ran out of ballot papers and underestimated the turnout. We turned up at the meeting expecting a brawl and instead the ONU executive capitulated, and allowed all five resolutions to be voted on. They fought us tooth and nail on voting, and then at the last minute they surrendered,” Morgan said.
One former student, who spoke anonymously to speak freely, said the school’s co-ed consultation process was “botched and misleading.”
A Newington College student walks past signs protesting against the school’s plan to become co-ed by 2033.Credit: Kate Geraghty
“Many parents put their son’s name down on the waitlist from the age of one or two, and they feel they’ve been sold something they never agreed to. You can’t just go and sign up to Joey’s or King’s as they are full too,” he said. “There is also no pressure on girls schools to go co-ed.”
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In another letter to alumni earlier this month, old boys’ union president Alex Pagnonis said the co-ed move had been the catalyst for the ONU receiving an unprecedented level of additional feedback from members.
A survey conducted by the old boys’ union last year found more than half of respondents were opposed or undecided about co-ed.
“Despite what any faction might advise, the perspectives on moving to co-education in our community are mixed and balanced,” Pagonis said.
“There is now a group who are very openly wanting to take control of the ONU for the sole purpose of weaponising our ONU against the college… They have proposed resolutions which are intended only to divide and destabilise.”
A separate legal challenge is also under way, with some parents arguing the move is contrary to the school’s trust, which was established in 1873.
Rob, a Newington graduate from 1967 who did not provide his surname, said he was planning to vote against the motions, and favoured co-education.
“There is a core group who are dead against it, but it does reflect the world we live in, and my children enjoyed going to co-ed schools.”
Yianni Moustakas, who graduated from the school in 2011, said he was pleased to see the college’s co-ed decision. “More people deserve to be able to go to the school, be on the grounds, and be part of the school community,” he said.
Newington announced late last year that it would admit girls in the junior school from 2026, and become a fully co-educational campus by 2033.
A spokesperson for Newington said the school was aware of the special general meeting of the ONU [on Wednesday] and “considers this to be an internal ONU matter.”
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Source Agencies
