1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: Already and this is the daily This is the Daily. 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: Ohs oh, now it makes sense. 3 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 2: Good morning and welcome to the Daily Os. It's Friday, 4 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:19,440 Speaker 2: the thirtieth of May. I'm Zara Sidler. 5 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: I'm Lucy Tassel. 6 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 2: A legal challenge to block a Sydney private boys' school 7 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 2: from going co ed failed in a new South Wales 8 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 2: court this week. Newington College's plan to open enrollments to 9 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 2: girls first made headlines over a year ago when a 10 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:37,159 Speaker 2: group of parents, old boys and students gathered outside the 11 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,200 Speaker 2: school in protest. Today, we'll bring you up to speed 12 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 2: on this high profile case, including a breakdown of what 13 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 2: the Supreme Court's decision means for school. 14 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 3: Zara, we have talked about this Newington co ed controversy before, 15 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 3: but it's been a while since we've heard much about it. 16 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 3: Can you kind of bring us up to speed on 17 00:00:58,240 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 3: the context surrounding the case. 18 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: What do we need to know about the school? 19 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 3: Yeah? 20 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 2: So, Newington is a prestigious independent school largely based in 21 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,479 Speaker 2: Sydney's Inner West, but also has a primary school campus 22 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:14,040 Speaker 2: on the North Shore. Since the late eighteen hundreds, and 23 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 2: I guess central to the story, Newington has been a 24 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 2: private boys' school. However, as we foreshadowed in November last year, 25 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 2: the college announced plans to open up enrollments to girls 26 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,040 Speaker 2: now under a phased plan. It's kindergarten and year five 27 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 2: classrooms would be co ed from twenty twenty six, so 28 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 2: from next year, before girls are accepted into years seven 29 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 2: and eleven in twenty twenty eight. As these students progress 30 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 2: through their education, the college said that it would become 31 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 2: fully co educational by twenty thirty three, with the first 32 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 2: co educational cohort graduating in twenty twenty nine. So I 33 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 2: say that all to paint the picture that it has 34 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 2: traditionally always been a private boys' school, but that there 35 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 2: were these plans that were made clear last year and 36 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 2: it was always going to be a phased approach towards 37 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 2: co education. 38 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 1: Do they explain why they're doing this now? 39 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a good question. It essentially it follows a 40 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 2: trend of single sex schools across the country moving into 41 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 2: co education when it comes to Newington specifically, they cited 42 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 2: several reasons for the move. Firstly, it said that the 43 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 2: College Council, so a board of decision makers, has a 44 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 2: responsibility to quote protect and embrace the future of Newington 45 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:31,920 Speaker 2: as well as its present. A statement explaining the decision 46 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 2: said that the college wanted to be quote in step 47 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 2: with a society it is part of. It goes on 48 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:39,959 Speaker 2: to say, our students will enter a world that will 49 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 2: require them to walk and work alongside all genders, collaboratively, respectfully, 50 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,639 Speaker 2: and empathetically. It says, we believe the best way to 51 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:51,359 Speaker 2: prepare them for these roles is for different genders to 52 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 2: learn alongside each other in an everyday, unremarkable way during 53 00:02:55,720 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 2: their childhood and their adolescence. The school also cided diversity 54 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 2: and inclusiveness as important considerations that underpinned this decision. 55 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, so then, I mean, schools announced things all the 56 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 1: time and they don't end up in court. 57 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 2: It's pretty rare for it to up in a court case. 58 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: So why has this rare occurrence happened? 59 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 2: Look, I don't think that it is hyperbolic of me 60 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 2: to say that there was a lot of passionate dialogue 61 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 2: when it came to this decision. There was both emphatic 62 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:31,799 Speaker 2: support from one cohort, whether that be of alumni, current students, parents, 63 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 2: whoever it was, But on the other side there was 64 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 2: also a strong cohort of people who were against the 65 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 2: decision by Newington to transition to co education. You may 66 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 2: remember the headlines about this. After a small but vocal 67 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 2: group of parents, old boys and students, they all gathered 68 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 2: outside the school last year, holding signs and protesting against 69 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 2: the school's decision to start enrolling girls. One of those 70 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 2: protesters called the decision at the time not just a 71 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 2: change in policy, but an erosion of our heritage. And 72 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 2: so then there was this petition signed by parents against 73 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 2: the school's decision to open up enrollment to girls. And 74 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 2: ultimately this backlash all came to a head when a lawsuit, 75 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 2: as you said it, was launched against the school last 76 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 2: year in the New South Wales Supreme Court. 77 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: Why don't these protesters want the school to become co ed? 78 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: I mean? 79 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 2: At the time of the protests, the group cited research 80 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 2: that was commissioned by Catholic Schools New South Wales that 81 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,480 Speaker 2: suggested that single sex schools can improve academic performance and 82 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 2: can increase student self esteem. The protesters said that by 83 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 2: becoming co ed, the students were risking losing these potential 84 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:45,159 Speaker 2: benefits that they said were afforded to students that attended 85 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 2: single sex schools. The study analyzed napland test starter that 86 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 2: found that overall a quote modest academic advantage for single 87 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 2: sex schools, with the advantage generally greater for boys' schools 88 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 2: than girls' schools andarticularly high lead for boys' schools in numeracy. 89 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:06,839 Speaker 2: Should be said, though, there is so much conflicting evidence 90 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 2: in this space. So for example, just to highlight one 91 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 2: other area here, research from twenty nineteen suggests that students 92 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 2: in co educational schools learn at the same speed or 93 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 2: even faster than their segregated counterparts in single sex schools. 94 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,919 Speaker 2: But again, this idea that the students at the single 95 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 2: sex school were at an academic advantage by being there. 96 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 2: That was one of the reasons why there were protests 97 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:31,039 Speaker 2: to the plan to transition. 98 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, it's a fascinating kind of idea to 99 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 3: think about. You went to a co ed school and 100 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 3: I went to a single sex school. Here we both 101 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 3: are in the same place. At the end of the day, 102 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 3: what do we need to know about the lawsuit? Because 103 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 3: you need to have like illegal grounds. You can't just 104 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 3: say I don't like this, yeah, let's go to court. 105 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 2: Yes. So, while those were some of the reasons why 106 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:56,600 Speaker 2: protesters were against the plan. You're right, they needed to 107 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,239 Speaker 2: be a legal ground for a suit to be brought. 108 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 2: And so this claim that was in the New South 109 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 2: Wales Supreme Court centered around the school's founding trust deed. 110 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 2: Now that was written in eighteen seventy three, and it 111 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 2: said it was established to provide an efficient course of 112 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:14,239 Speaker 2: education for youth. 113 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 3: Youth. 114 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 2: I emphasize that word because that is the word at 115 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 2: the center of the law case. In this case, a 116 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:26,480 Speaker 2: Newington student was the lead plaintiff. We know that he 117 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 2: is unnamed and remained unnamed during the course of the proceedings. 118 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 2: But basically the argument that was being put forward by 119 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 2: his lawyers was that the word youth in that sentence 120 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 2: in the founding trust was intended only to mean boys. 121 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 2: And so under this argument, the school is basically breaching 122 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 2: the terms of the trust by becoming co ed, the 123 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 2: trust being what funds the school and what dictates its future. 124 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 2: And so this, as I said, just centralized around this 125 00:06:56,920 --> 00:06:59,480 Speaker 2: one word youth and what does that word mean and 126 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:01,600 Speaker 2: what was that word intended to mean. 127 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 3: We'll be back with the rest of the deep dive 128 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:06,040 Speaker 3: after a quick message from our sponsor. 129 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: So what did the court think about this argument? 130 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 2: Well, on Wednesday, the Supreme Court Justice Guy Parker ruled 131 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:19,880 Speaker 2: against the student, so against this case. He concluded that 132 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 2: the word youth in the trusteed was used in a 133 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 2: gender neutral sense, so he didn't find that it was 134 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 2: specifically only meant to talk about boys or men, and 135 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 2: therefore Justice Parker ruled that the document does not mandate 136 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 2: male only enrollment at Newington and as a result of that, 137 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 2: Newington will now transition to co ed as planned, with 138 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 2: girls starting from next year because this case failed and 139 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 2: the plan was always to transition from next year and 140 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 2: now that legal obstacle has been overcome. 141 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: Wow, So what's the school said about that? 142 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 2: So a statement from Newington Headmaster Michael Parker said that 143 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 2: the school welcomed the court's decision. It was interesting during 144 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 2: the week before the decision was handed down, I was 145 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 2: looking at the Newington website. It has like an FAQ 146 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 2: about becoming co ed and in it like it's like 147 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 2: how will it work and what year will it happen? 148 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 2: And then the last one is and what's all this about? 149 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 2: A court case? And the school had had to say, yes, 150 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 2: there's this court case no, we don't intend for it 151 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 2: to change any plans. So really the school has welcomed 152 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 2: the decision, They said, we remain excited to build on 153 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:29,880 Speaker 2: our rich history and traditions by taking Newington into our 154 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:34,599 Speaker 2: next era. That Headmaster Michael Parker added, we are optimistic 155 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:36,959 Speaker 2: that the court's determination will now pave the way for 156 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 2: our community to move forward together. We look forward to 157 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:43,320 Speaker 2: now uniting around our future vision for the school. Of course, 158 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 2: they're calling out the fact that it has caused so 159 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 2: much division. There have been such strong feelings on both sides, 160 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 2: whether that be from old boys, whether that be from 161 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 2: current parents, current students, future students. But as we led 162 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:58,599 Speaker 2: with at the top, this does seem to be a 163 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 2: trend that is occurring cross not just New South Wales, 164 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:04,720 Speaker 2: but to pass a country as single sex schools begin 165 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 2: to allow girls boys to enter. 166 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, thank you so much for explaining that, Zarah. 167 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:14,079 Speaker 2: Thank you, Lucy, and thank you for joining us for 168 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:17,199 Speaker 2: another episode of The Daily OS that wraps up a 169 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 2: big week in the news. If you learned something this week, 170 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 2: hitting subscribe or follow on whatever platform you are listening 171 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 2: or watching us on helps us grow and helps us 172 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 2: continue doing content like this each and every day. We'll 173 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 2: be back with the headlines this afternoon, but until then, 174 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:33,199 Speaker 2: have a great day. 175 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 1: My name is Lily Madden and I'm a proud Arunda 176 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 1: bunge Lung Kalkutin woman from Gadigol Country. 177 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:46,439 Speaker 3: The Daily os acknowledges that this podcast is recorded on 178 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:48,959 Speaker 3: the lands of the Gadighl people and pays respect to 179 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 3: all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island and nations. We pay 180 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 3: our respects to the first peoples of these countries, both 181 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 3: past and present.