This initiative from Chevalier College, aimed at years 10 to 12, is intended to set students up for success by providing a day dedicated to remote learning.

Principal Greg Miller asserts that this change will offer an opportunity for students to consolidate their previous week's learning and prepare for the week ahead.

To participate, students must complete a "micro-credential course" beforehand, focusing on enhancing their learning capabilities.

Additionally, parents will also be required to attend a seminar and sign a permission form.

While some parents have welcomed the learn-from-home initiative, others have reacted with fury.

One parent, Tonia Pezzella Krebs, told Guardian Australia she trusted the school. She did not believe media reports of parents criticising the changes.

"I welcome any new ideas. In this world, we must all evolve, yet education is often stuck in the dark ages" she said.

"We believe kids should be at school five days, not mucking around at home for one day" said one parent who wished to remain anonymous.

"We have a couple of parents who have voiced concern. There is nervousness about moving forward because it is a significant change. But we don't have, contrary to other reports, parents revolting" Principal Miller said.

Staff shortage not the issue

However former pupil Nicci Bauer, who now has her own children at Chevalier, said she was concerned about the decision.

"We are worried about the disruption, especially for HSC students who will miss out on face-to-face instruction" she said.

Catholic Schools NSW chief executive Dallas McInerney questioned whether it was a wise move after many children suffered with enforced at-home learning during the pandemic.

"If COVID taught us anything, students can really struggle when they are cast out of school" he told the Herald.

Chevalier College has almost 900 pupils. It is run by the priests and brothers of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.

Sources

The Guardian

Daily Mail

News.com.au

This growth came despite predictions parents would withdraw children because of the financial pressures caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Almost two-thirds of the nation's schools are government-run schools, 20 per cent are Catholic, and 15 per cent are independent.

Nationally, the independent sector grew by 2.6 per cent last year, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show. This was ahead of government schools' 1.3 per cent growth and Catholic schools' 1.2 per cent.

Independent Schools Australia said the system's strongest growth was in schools that charged below $6000 a year.

Between 2016 and 2020, the independent sector's market share grew by 9.5 per cent. Independent growth was faster than both public schools (5.9) and Catholic schools (1.5).

Enrolment growth in Catholic system schools has been slowing over the past 10 years. The Mitchell Institute has argued that migration could be a factor, as new arrivals are more likely to attend a government or independent school.

Catholic leaders have also blamed fee rises in some dioceses and the abuse scandals within the church.

Catholic education celebrated its 200th anniversary this week. The head of the Australian Bishops' Commission for Catholic Education, Archbishop Anthony Fisher, wrote to parishioners acknowledging the damage caused by the scandals.

"This damaged many children and families, as well as the credibility of church institutions, including schools, in the eyes of many," Archbishop Fisher wrote. He said trust was being rebuilt as the failings were corrected.

The chief executive of Catholic Schools NSW, Dallas McInerney, said Catholic schools now taught more students than at any other time in its 200-year history. 2020 enrolment growth in the sector was the strongest since 2015.

"We've successfully bounced back in recent years. We are expecting even higher growth in 2021 with many new and upgraded schools. We have invested $173 million in 2020 in high growth areas across Sydney," he said.

In the state of Victoria, independent school growth was four times faster than in the Catholic sector in 2020, official figures show.

Sources

Sydney Morning Herald

The Age