Redeemer Lutheran College
Encyclopedia
Redeemer Lutheran College is a co-educational Lutheran
primary and secondary school in Rochedale
, Brisbane
, Queensland
. Founded in the early 1980s by Robin Kleinschmidt and other leading Lutherans in the south of Brisbane, the College currently educates students from years Prep to 12, with Prep–5 currently without permanent buildings pending council approval to commence construction. The current head of college is David Radke, who has been in this position since 2009.
faith, however adherents of any belief—as well as those who have no religious faith—are welcomed. Religious instruction is provided via 150 minutes of "Christian Studies" every week from years 6 to 12, as well as morning devotions in the chapel and in home rooms.
Staff are expected to uphold a Christian lifestyle and most staff members are practising Christians. RLC also has a chaplaincy service which is responsible for devotions and other expressions of religious life.
(OP) score. In 2008, 9 students received an OP 1. RLC is also opening up the options available to students, adding TAFE courses and apprenticeships to its curriculum.. The ethos of the school, however, is on participation rather than a striving for excellence, in both academic and co-curricular activities. .
competition through to musical competitions and debating under the auspices of the Queensland Debating Union.
The school has not achieved a reputation for consistent success in any extracurricular endeavour, however some alumni have achieved individual success. These include:
n Lutheran educationalist. He served as headmaster of St Peters Lutheran College
, Brisbane
and was responsible in part for encouraging the theatrical talents of a young Sigrid Thornton
.
Kleinschmidt served as headmaster of Redeemer College from foundation to 2001 and was responsible for the construction of most of the modern campus. His influence on the school can still be seen, particularly in the field of Debating, where the Inter-House Debating Trophy is known as the Robin Kleinschmidt Trophy. In honour of his endeavour and enterprise, the school's music centre, which was erected in 1999, was renamed the Robin Kleinschmidt centre.
The first of these dealt with claims made by Helen Darville
in interviews regarding her background. Among these claims were remarks that she had been looked down upon for being at the school on a scholarship
and also that she had befriended a Croatian girl who had been bullied by other students. The College refuted both claims, demonstrating that it had never had a scholarship program (although limited bursaries existed and continue to exist for already-enrolled students in need) and that there were no students of Croatian ethnicity enrolled at the time of Darville's enrolment. Then-headmaster L Robin Kleinschmidt still views these claims with contempt many years after the fact, as is shown in his memoir of the school.
The second and more recent event dealt with the prosecution and later conviction of teacher Warren Schneider for paedophilia. The events took place on a school camp in 2002, with Schneider giving female students alcohol and playing sexually-charged games of truth or dare with them. Schneider was jailed for 15 months, suspended after 5 months. In a second case in October 2007, Schneider pleaded guilty to three counts of rape and many cases of indecent dealings with students of both Redeemer College and another school at which he had previously taught. The school released a statement advising, "The college sincerely regrets that these events occurred," and stated in a newsletter, "It's been a difficult week for our community in the wake of the conviction of former teacher Warren Schneider," but have not to date issued an apology to the victims of the abuse.
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
primary and secondary school in Rochedale
Rochedale, Queensland
Rochedale is an outer suburb of the city of Brisbane, Australia. It is south-east of the Brisbane central business district.- History :During convict settlement, explorers passed through the region but it was not until 1865 that the first settlers started farming the area's rich alluvial soil.The...
, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. Founded in the early 1980s by Robin Kleinschmidt and other leading Lutherans in the south of Brisbane, the College currently educates students from years Prep to 12, with Prep–5 currently without permanent buildings pending council approval to commence construction. The current head of college is David Radke, who has been in this position since 2009.
Location and grounds
Redeemer is located in Brisbane City in a semi-rural environment. The College is notable for its use of open space, with no building currently exceeding two stories in height and a network of paths crossing the grounds. Considerable effort is expended on landscaping the grounds as well.Doctrinal emphasis
Redeemer focuses on the promotion of the Lutheran denomination of the ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
faith, however adherents of any belief—as well as those who have no religious faith—are welcomed. Religious instruction is provided via 150 minutes of "Christian Studies" every week from years 6 to 12, as well as morning devotions in the chapel and in home rooms.
Staff are expected to uphold a Christian lifestyle and most staff members are practising Christians. RLC also has a chaplaincy service which is responsible for devotions and other expressions of religious life.
Educational standards
RLC is generally a high-achieving school, with most senior school-leavers scoring strongly in the Overall PositionOverall Position
The Overall Position is a tertiary entrance rank used in the Australian state of Queensland for selection into universities. Like similar systems used throughout the rest of Australia, the OP shows how well a student has performed in their senior secondary studies compared to all other OP-eligible...
(OP) score. In 2008, 9 students received an OP 1. RLC is also opening up the options available to students, adding TAFE courses and apprenticeships to its curriculum.. The ethos of the school, however, is on participation rather than a striving for excellence, in both academic and co-curricular activities. .
Extra-curricular
RLC participates in a wide range of extracurricular activities, ranging from sport in The Associated SchoolsThe Associated Schools
The Associated Schools is an incorporated body involving fourteen co-educational independent Queensland secondary schools in a variety of sporting and cultural activities established in 1956 following the disbanded Metropolitan Secondary School Sports Association in 1955, which had been...
competition through to musical competitions and debating under the auspices of the Queensland Debating Union.
The school has not achieved a reputation for consistent success in any extracurricular endeavour, however some alumni have achieved individual success. These include:
- Helen DarvilleHelen DarvilleHelen Dale , also known as Helen Darville and Helen Demidenko, is an Australian writer and lawyer.While studying English literature at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, she wrote The Hand that Signed the Paper, a novel about a Ukrainian family who become both bystanders and perpetrators...
(infamous Australian literary hoaxer) - David GiffinDavid GiffinDavid Giffin is a former vice-captain of the Wallabies in rugby union, where he played in the lock position. Queensland-born, he played most of his professional career with the ACT Brumbies in what was then the Super 12. At this level, he earned 81 caps - earning a further 49 at international level...
(former WallabiesAustralia national rugby union teamThe Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
vice-captain)
Robin Kleinschmidt
L. Robin Kleinschmidt is an AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Lutheran educationalist. He served as headmaster of St Peters Lutheran College
St Peters Lutheran College
St Peters Lutheran College is an independent, co-educational, Lutheran, day and boarding school, situated on a campus in Indooroopilly, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and was responsible in part for encouraging the theatrical talents of a young Sigrid Thornton
Sigrid Thornton
Sigrid Thornton is an Australian multi-award winning actress.-Early years:Thornton was born in Canberra, the daughter of Merle, a teacher of women's studies and writer, and Neil Thornton, an academic. She spent most of her formative years growing up and attending school at St. Peter's Lutheran...
.
Kleinschmidt served as headmaster of Redeemer College from foundation to 2001 and was responsible for the construction of most of the modern campus. His influence on the school can still be seen, particularly in the field of Debating, where the Inter-House Debating Trophy is known as the Robin Kleinschmidt Trophy. In honour of his endeavour and enterprise, the school's music centre, which was erected in 1999, was renamed the Robin Kleinschmidt centre.
Controversy
The school has been involved in two controversial incidents during its existence to date.The first of these dealt with claims made by Helen Darville
Helen Darville
Helen Dale , also known as Helen Darville and Helen Demidenko, is an Australian writer and lawyer.While studying English literature at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, she wrote The Hand that Signed the Paper, a novel about a Ukrainian family who become both bystanders and perpetrators...
in interviews regarding her background. Among these claims were remarks that she had been looked down upon for being at the school on a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
and also that she had befriended a Croatian girl who had been bullied by other students. The College refuted both claims, demonstrating that it had never had a scholarship program (although limited bursaries existed and continue to exist for already-enrolled students in need) and that there were no students of Croatian ethnicity enrolled at the time of Darville's enrolment. Then-headmaster L Robin Kleinschmidt still views these claims with contempt many years after the fact, as is shown in his memoir of the school.
The second and more recent event dealt with the prosecution and later conviction of teacher Warren Schneider for paedophilia. The events took place on a school camp in 2002, with Schneider giving female students alcohol and playing sexually-charged games of truth or dare with them. Schneider was jailed for 15 months, suspended after 5 months. In a second case in October 2007, Schneider pleaded guilty to three counts of rape and many cases of indecent dealings with students of both Redeemer College and another school at which he had previously taught. The school released a statement advising, "The college sincerely regrets that these events occurred," and stated in a newsletter, "It's been a difficult week for our community in the wake of the conviction of former teacher Warren Schneider," but have not to date issued an apology to the victims of the abuse.