South Coast Baptist College

South Coast Baptist College
Administration building entrance in 2023
Location
30 Gnangara Drive, Waikiki, Western Australia Australia
Coordinates	32°18′55″S 115°45′27″E
Information
Type	Independent, Baptist, coeducational day school
Denomination	Baptist
Established	1985; 40 years ago (1985)
Educational authority	WA Department of Education
Chairman	Grant Botha[1]
Principal	Dawn Clements[2]
Chaplain	Matthew Birch
Grades	Kindergarten – Year 12
Enrolment	858[3] (2022)
Website	www.scbc.wa.edu.au

The South Coast Baptist College, formerly the Maranatha Christian College, is an independent Baptist school providing a Kindergarten to Year 12 education in Waikiki, Western Australia.[4][5]

History

The school opened in 1985 in the suburb of Waikiki as Maranatha Christian College with the support of Rockingham Baptist Church. South Coast Baptist College (SCBC) is aligned with the Baptist denomination. The teachings of the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments form the doctrinal base. Families do not need to have a Christian faith to attend the College, but must be supportive and respectful of the school's Christian ethos.[6]

In 2012, the College was rebranded to South Coast Baptist College. The College underwent a $45 million redevelopment project.[7]

Specialist programs

The College currently offers four specialist programs, namely the Football Academy, GATE (STEM skills), Vocal Academy, and Gymnastics.[8]

Controversies

The school received negative publicity in 2017 when it removed gay male relief teacher from the school’s relief teacher roster[9] after he declared publicly to be in a same-sex-relationship. The principal at the time declared that he and the school respected the teacher's personal choice of relationship but that it violated the school's core religious beliefs. At the time, Western Australian law permitted dismissal of teachers at a faith-based church on religious grounds, but dismissal sparked a review of whether the law should be changed.[10][11] As of 2022, the law permitting Campbell's dismissal was still under review, with the Western Australian Government in the process of drafting a new Equal Opportunity Act with the aim of strengthening protections for LGBTIQ+ people employed at religious schools.[12]

On 13 November 2024 the principal, under the direction of the board, announced the closure of the elite Gymsports Academy due to the extremely high operating costs of the Program.[13]

Notable alumni

• Olivia Lewis – Netball player for West Coast Fever and the Melbourne Vixens

References

1. "Meet the Board". South Coast Baptist College. 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
2. "Principal's Welcome". South Coast Baptist College. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
3. "Alphabetical list of Western Australian schools" (PDF). apps.det.wa.edu.au. WA Department of Education. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
4. "South Coast Baptist College - Waikiki WA". privateschoolsguide.com. Port Bimbi Publishing Pty Ltd. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
5. "South Coast Baptist College Incorporated". Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. 17 July 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
6. "Principal's Welcome". South Coast Baptist College. 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
7. "South Coast Baptist College Stage 1B". Alitia Constructions. 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
8. "Scholarships". South Coast Baptist College. 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
9. "Mocked in class, this teacher revealed he was gay. He lost his job". News.com.au. 7 December 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
10. Phoebe Wearne (22 November 2017). "Gay teacher fired by South Coast Baptist College in Waikiki sparking debate about discrimination rights of religious schools". The West Australian. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
11. "Mocked in class, this teacher revealed he was gay. He lost his job". www.news.com.au. 7 December 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
12. "Religious schools in WA can sack a teacher if they are LGBTIQ+. Proposed laws aim to prevent this". SBS News. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
13. Fenner, EXCLUSIVE Rachel. "School's elite gym program cut". editions.soundtelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 23 November 2024.

External links

• Official website