By Bridie Smith
One of Melbourne’s most prestigious Catholic all-girls schools will change the way it educates students from next year when it introduces a hybrid model of teaching that includes an online component delivered by one of the largest state government schools.
Genazzano FCJ College principal Loretta Wholley said the model would combine in-person learning delivered by staff of the Kew school, and screen-based learning via state-run Virtual Schools Victoria.
Genazzano students Sophie and Amelie in the school’s learning hub.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
With university lectures and tutorials now largely conducted online, Wholley said the change would enable the 135-year-old school to better prepare students for tertiary study.
“If we know that’s what’s ahead, then we have to prepare them for that,” she said. “This will give them the independent learning skills that they need to transfer into their tertiary studies.”
The virtual component will require students to be on campus at a dedicated learning hub where Genazzano support teachers will monitor students’ progress and set up exams and assessments. Wholley said the online and on-campus model was adopted because she believed it was important for students to maintain social connections and learn life skills – including how to manage people.
“These are really important skills for life,” she said. “Let’s be honest, we all work with people we don’t particularly like all the time, but we have to learn to get the best out of each other.”
The voluntary program for year 10 and 11 students will enable the school to increase the subjects offered from 30 to 46, with the potential for additional subjects to be added in 2026. Virtual Schools Victoria charges non-government schools $850 per subject.
Tuition fees for the hybrid model, known as Studio Beyond, will be the same as full-time, face-to-face teaching – which costs $34,623 a year for year 10 and 11 students.
Genazzano first developed a dedicated online learning model in 2022 to cater for two students who were performing at an elite level in dance and sport, commitments that meant they were away for extended periods for training and competition.
Wholley said the hybrid model could also benefit disengaged students, which she estimated at just under 2 per cent of the student cohort.
“I wouldn’t classify them as school refusers because we do get them to school. It’s just sometimes they aren’t able to make it through the day and that’s normally due to mental health or anxiety.”
Monash University online teaching and learning professor Michael Phillips said while online learning didn’t suit all students, providing an option to learn virtually was important.
“If we in Victoria don’t have the option of learning online, then we would have an impoverished system,” he said.
He said the approach was novel for a mainstream education provider, noting it marked an interesting union between the state sector, which runs Virtual Schools Victoria, and the Catholic education sector.
Haileybury opened Victoria’s first private online school in 2023. Catering for students in years 5 to 12 with classes capped at 10, Haileybury Pangea employs its own staff and is independent of Virtual Schools Victoria.
Phillips said it was difficult to say whether Genazzano’s hybrid model would better prepare students for tertiary study, but he said his own research into online study at school could have a positive impact on academic results for some.
His study measured the impact online learning had on students’ self-confidence leading up to VCE exams. It found that just one hour a week of online learning increased students’ self-belief.
“Online learning allows for more comprehensive and instant feedback for the student,” he said. “Any areas where they have weaknesses can be addressed early.”
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.