What do Beyond PMSA want? A constructive solution for our much loved schools.

Beyond PMSA fully understands the issues and complexities in the current debate. We also fully appreciate current sentiment amongst some community members about the continuing public nature of that debate. To those who would fall victim to community perceptions that are being fed by the PMSA PR machine about the nature of Beyond PMSA’s engagement in the debate and the way in which we are battling for positive change. We say this. - We have been vocal. We have been critical, but we have never been the cause of, or instigators of destruction.

The PMSA PR machine have been attempting unsuccessfully to paint Beyond PMSA in that light over the course of the last several weeks. This is because we are the largest and most legitimate threat to their current position. It’s seems that it is much easier for the PMSA to do that than to point the blame at the many other splinter groups and individuals who are doing things independently, including approaching the media. It’s a simple argument that can be made dismissively in their weekly communiques without regard to the truth.

We have always called for moderation. We have never attacked personally, although we have been critical of decisions, statements and competencies. Those who would support the PMSA seem to be under an incorrect assumption that Beyond PMSA is in a position to influence everyone else to do the same thing. We certainly try, but even we have our limits of influence. There are thousands of people out there who support us, but who also have their own individual points of view and take it upon themselves to comment on social media platforms, or provide information to the media. That will no doubt continue as community frustrations over the PMSA’s inaction and insubstantial responses to questions or requests for information from the PMSA also continue.

Beyond PMSA want a constructive solution and we are working behind the scenes for that. Often, not all of those constructive efforts are publicly visible. Rest assured, they are occurring.

At this point what we want is a true acceptance of responsibility from the PMSA and a governance reform process that isn’t “loaded” with a pre-determined outcome. A process that delivers the best possible outcome, not something that everyone just “settles for” because it’s 1% better than what we already have.

The fundamental impediment that Beyond PMSA has in engaging with the current PMSA Council has never changed. The current PMSA Councillors have been complicit in poor and destructive executive interventions at the schools. That they think that they can slide past all of that without accountability and transpose responsibility for the current state of the schools onto the many members of our deeply concerned school communities is wrong on so many levels. They have never apologised or acknowledged specific governance errors. They have simply expressed regret that they did not do things “better” at the time. There is a difference. Quite frankly, recognition of, and a genuine apology for the decisions that they have made was important. It was necessary. The opportunity for that to occur voluntarily, and to be seen as genuine in doing so, has long passed with the absence of that one simple act of respect for the school communities and the individuals who were impacted. Trust has passed with it.

Asking difficult questions and taking an opposing view to the PMSA outlook on the world does not make Beyond PMSA destructive. Not answering valid questions or not providing substantive responses to them actually creates the damage that the PMSA seeks to blame everyone else for. More importantly, it perpetuates the damage and erodes the market position of our schools. Complete responsibility starts and finishes with those who choose to exercise a total and authoritarian level of control over these schools.

Beyond PMSA are simply the opposition holding the PMSA to account. The PMSA have all of the information available to them to correct the public record, but they don’t. Everything is “confidential” and that is a function of their legal and cultural structure which has not changed even in the short 14 weeks since Beyond PMSA has existed.

Beyond PMSA have a moral duty to the school communities to ensure not only that governance improvements occur, but also that the “right” leaders are in there doing the job. And they have to have relevant, skills-based qualifications and experience to understand how to do the job properly. In our opinion, the current Council does not. These are very confronting issues, and getting the right mix of professional qualities, capabilities and competencies of the individuals at the helm of our governing body will shape the future of these schools and our children’s futures immensely. It will also be important to the success of a genuine, world class, governance reform process.

We don’t expect nor do we propose that Beyond PMSA should have a role in the future governance of our schools. We never have. We are the delivery mechanism. The messenger for change. Nothing more. However, under the right conditions, we would be prepared to contribute to discussions for a pathway for reform that could receive legitimate endorsement from the many thousands of members of the school communities that we represent. That would require leadership from the Churches. Yes, that may require the involvement of the PMSA as well - we do not discount that, but that can not occur without opening the scope of the reform agenda up considerably, nor can it successfully occur with the Council as presently constituted.

Productive discussions that would receive legitimate endorsement can only occur with a change to the composition of the current Council, and independent and objective appointees to the Council need to be made. Such as appointees need to enjoy broad community acceptance and confidence. All it takes is common will and a decision to insert objective and independent leadership into the PMSA. Once that occurs, everything is possible. If that occurs, there doesn’t have to be a loser. Everyone can win. - So there’s the challenge (and the olive branch)! We fear that it may not be accepted, but we do live in hope that humility will take over from pride somewhere in this process.

To our thousands of supporters we say, don’t fall victim to fatigue in the debate. We are asking people to stand behind us to finish the job. We have a governance solution and plan which has been published and delivered to the Moderators and which we are prepared to discuss constructively. So let’s not settle for the easy fix just to make these schools “seem ok”. They deserve to be made “great”. They deserve nothing less, and if we deliver less, then we are failing the present and future students and staff.

We appreciate the huge amount of support that we are continuing to receive, with new supporters and donors arriving every day. We want to help deliver a positive outcome for the schools as quickly as possible. We have a highly professional, objective and moderate group of people in the executive. Sometimes that gets drowned out with all of the white noise from the Courier Mail and convenient PR spin from the PMSA. Don’t let it drown out your support! Thank you for increasing our resolve and for making this fight morally right and personally important to us all.