Four Australian private and Catholic schools to close at end of 2026
Four private and Catholic schools across Australia will close at the end of 2026: Hartford College in Sydney and three Melbourne Catholic primary schools (St Philip's, Ss Peter and Paul's, and St Pius X). The closures will affect approximately 159 students and their families. Parents have expressed significant frustration at the sudden announcements, arguing they were given insufficient notice to secure alternative school placements.
The schools are closing due to changing demographics and declining student enrolment numbers. St Philip's School operates with just 33 students, exemplifying the low numbers facing some institutions. Parent-led petitions have gathered strong support, with Hartford's campaign collecting over 200 signatures despite the school's enrolment of only 35 students. The Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools organisation has defended the decisions, citing falling birth rates, changing population patterns and reduced enrolments in established communities as making these institutions unsustainable.
- Four Australian schools closing at year end affecting 159 students overall.
- Parents frustrated they lacked sufficient notice to find alternative placements.
- Declining enrolment and demographic changes cited as reasons for closures.
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Four private and Catholic schools in Australia are to close at the end of 2026. The closures affect Hartford College in Sydney and three Catholic primary schools in Melbourne: St Philip's, Ss Peter and Paul's, and St Pius X. Together these schools serve about 159 students who will need to find alternative placements.
The schools are closing because student numbers have fallen sharply. St Philip's School, for instance, operates with just 33 pupils. Declining birth rates and changing population patterns have left these established communities with fewer families needing school places, making the institutions financially unsustainable.
Parents have reacted with considerable frustration, arguing that the sudden announcements have left insufficient time to secure places at other schools. Some have launched petition campaigns and expressed anger at the short notice given to families. The Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools organisation has defended the decisions, citing the broader demographic pressures making these schools unviable.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The schools' organisations must respond to demographic and financial reality. With enrollments as low as 33–35 students, these institutions cannot operate sustainably or provide adequate educational resources and facilities to justify continued operation. Falling birth rates and shifting population patterns are undeniable facts that require difficult decisions to ensure limited resources are deployed effectively across the broader school system.
The case against
These schools serve established communities and offer distinctive, values-based education that larger institutions cannot replicate. Families deserve adequate notice and genuine support to plan their children's educational alternatives, and the abrupt announcements represent a procedural failure regardless of the underlying decision's logic. Rather than closure, greater consultation, creative problem-solving, and extended transition periods might have honoured both fiscal responsibility and the legitimate needs of affected communities.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Parents left scrambling as four Aussie schools announce shock closures: ‘Our community is devastated’”.