Families Demand Answers Over Closure of Public Montessori Program

Families connected to the Montessori Adolescent Program (MAP) at Templestowe College are demanding answers over the planned closure of the long-running public Montessori stream, as political pressure and broader concerns about alternative learning pathways in Victorian public education continue to grow.

The program will cease accepting Year 7 enrolments from 2027 and be progressively phased out, prompting significant backlash from parents, students and the broader Montessori community.

A public petition calling for the preservation of MAP has now attracted close to 1300 signatures, while the issue has recently been covered by The Age, discussed on 3AW Afternoons, and examined in an AARE op-ed exploring the tension between current Victorian teaching reforms and the closure of alternative learning pathways.

With the closure of Montessori at Mitcham Primary School and the Steiner stream at Thornbury Primary School, families say there appears to be an emerging pattern of long-running alternative programs being removed from government schools without clear safeguards for the students and communities who rely on them.

The issue has also attracted political attention, with Shadow Education Minister Brad Rowswell formally writing to the Department's Regional Director seeking clarification around the closure process, the evidence informing the decision and support pathways for affected families.

At the same time, Montessori Australia has confirmed it received correspondence from the Department stating there has been no directive to cease Montessori programs, and that decisions regarding such programs sit within the remit of individual principals.

Mark Powell from Montessori Australia says many of the issues cited around alternative programs, including enrolment decline and staffing challenges, are solvable and should not automatically lead to closure.

"The Department has never reached out to Montessori Australia as the peak body to help explore possible solutions," he said.

"Montessori education has one of the strongest evidence bases of any educational approach globally, producing positive academic, wellbeing and student engagement outcomes. These programs continue to be in strong demand when families understand what they offer."

Families say this has intensified concerns around transparency, consultation and accountability.

"If there was no Department directive to cease Montessori programs, families want to understand what evidence and consultation process informed the decision locally," a parent spokesperson said.

For many students, families say MAP has provided a learning environment where young people who previously struggled in conventional settings were finally able to feel engaged, supported and successful.

"For some students, MAP has been the first place they have genuinely felt safe, understood and connected within education," one parent said.

"Many families made major educational, financial and personal decisions specifically because this program existed."

Parents argue the Montessori Adolescent Program cannot simply be replicated elsewhere within the school, as it is built upon long-term relationships, mixed-age mentoring, community continuity and a distinct educational philosophy developed over many years.

Families also point to the program's strong academic and leadership outcomes, noting MAP students have consistently held a disproportionate number of leadership positions and major school awards, including multiple duxes and Top Arts recognition.

Families say the issue now raises broader questions about whether alternative and specialised learning pathways are quietly disappearing from Victorian public schools despite ongoing policy language around inclusion, engagement and diverse learning needs.

Families are calling for:

greater transparency around the decision-making process;

meaningful consultation with families and staff;

exploration of alternatives before closure; and

stronger protections for alternative learning pathways within public education.

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW:

Parent spokespeople from the Templestowe MAP community

Current and former MAP students

Montessori Australia representatives

Families from other affected Montessori and alternative learning communities

Petition link:
https://www.change.org/p/save-the-montessori-adolescent-program-at-tc-from-being-shut-down

The Age coverage:
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/these-students-finally-found-education-that-worked-for-them-now-their-program-is-ending-20260515-p5zxdj.html

AARE op-ed:
https://blog.aare.edu.au/how-we-went-from-yes-to-no-not-now-not-here/

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