Work to begin on new Geraldton Flexible Learning Centre at former St Patrick’s College site in 2023

Work on a brand new Geraldton Flexible Learning Centre will begin in early 2023 on the former St Patrick’s College site on Bayly Street, following an announcement by Edmund Rice Education Australia. EREA has 22 Flexible Learning Centre’s across Australia as well as 35 mainstream schools and colleges. Geraldton Flexi is the only one in Western Australia at this stage. After many years of planning, the Flexi Community is set to move out of the original St Patrick’s building and into their new facilities next year. As a curriculum and re-engagement school, Flexi works with young people who have been unable to be successful in a mainstream school setting. Geraldton Flexi currently has 90 young people of high school age enrolled. The first stage of the building project will include the construction of four classrooms, creating art, manual arts, and wellbeing areas as well as a commercial training kitchen, multipurpose area, staff and reception areas and ablution facilities. Geraldton Flexible Learning Centre principal Gerard Keating said he was so pleased to have the first EREA purpose-built CARE school facility in WA. “Our young people deserve a warm and welcoming place for our staff to be able to provide them with greater learning, engagement and wellbeing opportunities,” he said. The original St Patrick’s building will be preserved for future works due to its historical significance in the Geraldton community. The works to set up the Flexi centre will see some old decaying buildings at the east side of the site, including former dormitories and classrooms, demolished. Catholic Education WA acting executive director Wayne Bull said the development would provide Catholic school students in Geraldton with an improved learning environment. “The Geraldton Flexi Learning Centre provides a much-valued education service to young people and their families and I am sure this development will be welcomed by the school community,” he said. “We will work with Bishop Michael (Morrissey) to determine possible uses for the original St Patrick’s building and other buildings on the site which are important parts of the community’s history.” Catholic Bishop of Geraldton Michael Morrissey said: “The Christian Brothers began St Patrick’s College on this site in 1926 and I am delighted education will continue on this site with the construction of purpose-built facilities for the Edmund Rice Australia Geraldton Flexible Learning Centre. “ The centre will be funded from a $650,000 Federal Government capital grant, a State Government-supported $2 million low-interest loan and a capital development loan taken out by the centre, with the backing of EREA.