Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
· collected 2026-08-24 · by The Herald's View
A recent Herald analysis has found that most high-fee private boys' schools in Sydney have men outnumbering women on their governing boards, with only two schools achieving gender equity. According to the report, some schools are hampered by tradition and rules that prioritize old boys and male church members. Kate Harper, a consultant specializing in board search and leadership succession initiatives, argues that independent schools can follow the Australian Institute of Company Directors' principles for not-for-profit boards, which recommend a diverse mix of skills, experience, and backgrounds. The analysis suggests that Sydney's high-fee private girls' schools have been more successful at introducing equal or near-equal gender splits on their boards.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-24,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Sydney's high-fee private boys schools are being criticized for lacking gender equality on their boards, with men outnumbering women by a significant margin. Only two of these schools have achieved parity between male and female representation on their governing boards. This issue has been exacerbated by recent allegations of rape and harassment at these schools, including a case in which three students from Scots College allegedly raped a girl in Bondi Junction. Experts are calling for the schools to adopt more inclusive leadership models, such as embracing female leadership or following guidelines from the Australian Institute of Company Directors. The lack of gender diversity on these boards is seen as contributing to a culture that may perpetuate harassment and assault. This criticism has been renewed since 2021, when Chanel Contos, a 22-year-old former student of Kambala, spoke out about allegations of sexual misconduct at private boys schools in Sydney.
Written for “Racism in British Private Schools” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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Leaning score -0.35 for article 1933 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-08-28
The continuing failure by Sydney’s high-fee private boys schools to boost gender equality on their boards is under scrutiny amid renewed concerns about how a mix of privilege and concentrated masculinity affects schools’ culture.
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mix → continue → culture
There have long been calls for all-male schools to show greater leadership on gender issues.
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schools → show → issues
These intensified in 2021, when 22-year-old former Kambala student Chanel Contos delivered a disturbing list of allegations from young women who said they had been sexually harassed or assaulted during high school or shortly after by young men who attended nearby Sydney private boys schools.
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who → intensify → schools
Schools can work on boys’ perception of women in other ways, too, and one of them is embracing female leadership.
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one → work → leadership
Yet a new Herald analysis shows men still outnumber women on the governing boards of most Sydney’s high-fee private boys schools.
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men → show → schools
Only two have attained gender equity.
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two → attain → equity
The culture of private boys schools has been put under the spotlight again after allegations that three Scots College students, all in their early teens, raped a girl in Bondi Junction.
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students → put → Junction
In a separate incident, three older teens – including two boys from St Gregory’s in Campbelltown – have been accused of raping a teenage girl.
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teens → include → girl
Gender diversity at the top filters down to the culture of the school.
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diversity → filter → school
Female board representatives can help schools develop strong approaches to sexual consent education, to preparing boys for working alongside women as adults, and to navigating the horrendous social media algorithms to which many are exposed.
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many → help → which
Yet Sydney’s high-fee private boys schools have still struggled to achieve stronger female representation.
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schools → struggle → representation
Some are hampered by tradition, others by rules.
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others → hamper → rules
That said, some schools cast off the old church governance and have switched to corporate-style boards to take control of assets and ensure they met governance standards.
Kate Harper, an experienced consultant focusing on board search and leadership succession initiatives, said independent schools could look to the Australian Institute of Company Directors principles for not-for-profit boards.
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schools → say → boards
These recommend an appropriate mix of people with a diverse set of skills, experience and backgrounds that align with the organisation’s purpose, vision and strategy.
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that → recommend → purpose
“It is hard to see how a council dominated by one gender can effectively guide the school’s executive on preparing their students to deal with the many challenges and risks associated with social media, sexual consent, as well as preparation to join an increasingly gender-equal workforce,” she said.
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she → see → workforce
Many of Sydney’s high-fee private girls schools have reflected societal change and introduced equal gender or near-equal gender splits for board appointments.
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Many → reflect → appointments
Boys’ schools must do the same.
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schools → do → same
The old-fashioned ideas that shaped these boys’ schools need a reboot.
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that → shape → reboot
For the good of their students, the sector must embrace female leadership and relegate male bastion councils to the past.
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sector → embrace → past
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that → get → own
