100 Years of PMSA and Beyond
On the 1st of July 1918, the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association (PMSA) officially became the owners of the schools known today as Brisbane Boys College (BBC) and Somerville House. Clayfield College and Sunshine Coast Grammar School would later join the fold. We are about to mark 100 years of PMSA governance of schools in Queensland.
On occasions such as this it is natural to look back and acknowledge the past, while also making even bigger plans for the future. What could the current PMSA Council do to put all four schools in the best position to thrive for the next 100 years?
Beyond PMSA believes that world class governance reform must be the starting point, including
The abolition of the archaic Letters Patent structure to bring the PMSA into the 21st century where appropriate financial reporting and transparency is required
An overhaul of the Constitutions of the PMSA and the School Councils to allow for transparency of governance and accountability
Open communication with stakeholders throughout this process
On the other hand, the PMSA believes that by engaging the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) to review a comparatively narrow part of the current governance arrangements (specifically the role and composition of the PMSA Council and the School Councils) it will have taken a positive step to improve its governance, increase transparency and build confidence with the school community. This has been stated on their public website.
If you would like to review the many concerns that exist regarding the narrow scope of the current governance review they are set out in the blog “Good Governance Series #5” (read more here) which was published on the Beyond PMSA website on 22 March 2018.
So, back to milestones… the PMSA commissioned Dr Noel Quirke, who they considered “a well-furnished historian”, to compile the history of its first 75 years of operation. A book called "For the Good of the Community - 75 Years of Presbyterian and Methodist Governance in Education in Queensland" was published in 1994 (before the acquisition of Sunshine Coast Grammar School). The final sentences of the book read:
“The fact remains, however, that the PMSA, despite some severe shortcomings at times, has ensured the survival of the three schools over the last three-quarters of a century. In the modern educational environment, the schools are constantly being re-evaluated and re-defined within society. This will be achieved in the future with or without the support and participation of the PMSA itself through outside pressure from the schools, community and Churches and by the momentum already within the schools themselves. The history of the PMSA indicates that there is a real and valuable role for the Association if it is prepared to address the difficult issues directly and bravely.”
After 100 years of governance by the PMSA, it is certainly time our much-loved schools had world class governance. The observations made by Dr Noel Quirke above are now over 20 years old and we are still waiting to see if the PMSA is prepared to address its governance issues “directly and bravely”. That would allow our schools to thrive in a way they have not been able to in the past.
What a wonderful legacy that would be.
On a final note, Beyond PMSA is aware that the release of the PMSA Annual Report tabled at the PMSA AGM seems to be ignoring the recommendations of the Chesterman report and the need for excellence in governance for our beloved schools. The actions of the PMSA are being closely monitored and if necessary Beyond PMSA will highlight all areas of poor governance and demand action on behalf of our supporters.
