Private school buys $100k robot dog while underpaying staff

Advertising on buses and light rail vehicles in Canberra states that Brindabella Christian College is "One of only ten K-12 schools in the world collaborating with the world's leading autonomous robotics organisation" alongside images of the Boston Dynamics Spot robot dog.

The Spot robot from Boston Dynamics went on sale in 2020 for $US74,500 ($112,000) not including tax.

The Brindabella Christian College board chair Greg Zwajgenberg and other school employees travelled to the United States for workshops with Boston Dynamics in April, according to social media posts.

The school did not respond to questions about the robot.

Mr Zwajgenberg said in a YouTube video caption that Brindabella Christian College would be the first private school in Australia to collaborate with Boston Dynamics.

"In our move to open our new STEAM Centre in 2024 we will become an Australian leading incubator for AI and robotics, so that as a Christian college, and as a Christian community, we are not in any way fearful of the world ahead. We will help frame AI and robotics for good and not evil," the board chair said.

The spend comes as the school is under scrutiny for repeatedly failing to pay staff superannuation entitlements on time.

The board chair wrote in an email to staff that a refinancing deal had been "derailed" because of the negative media comments surrounding unpaid superannuation.

The school has also failed to comply with a series of conditions imposed by the federal Education Department after the proprietors were found to be not fit and proper to operate a non-government school. It now faces the prospect of losing its government funding.

Ed Colp, sales lead for education and research at Boston Dynamics, addressed the school community in a video published on Mr Zwajgenberg's YouTube channel.

"On behalf of the Boston Dynamics team, please allow me to express my excitement to work together with you," Mr Colp said.

"We can't wait for you to start exploring with Spot and we truly look forward to building a long-term collaboration with you over the coming years."

Boston Dynamics chief executive Robert Playter said in a video the Spot robot was used by industries to handle tasks that were difficult or dangerous for people.

"Spot spends hours and hours each week, walking factory floors, checking gauges and machinery, exposes itself to high radiation and nuclear facilities, goes offshore and much more so people like you don't have to," Mr Playter said.

Mr Zwajgenberg said in a Facebook post he and "an advanced team" would be "training with Boston Dynamics, and a lead school in AI & Robotics in Kentucky". Flights from Canberra to Kentucky currently cost about $4500 return per person.

The school has also been advertising a "STEAM Centre" at its Charnwood campus. The centre was described as "an innovation and discovery hub" where students would do a series of labs focused on real-world issues combining science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

The school's eLearning co-ordinator, Chris Brown, is scheduled to speak at the EduTech conference and expo in Melbourne in August on the subject "Spot the robot - why robotics in education?"

The conference website lists example projects, including photography with a GoPro/camera, obstacle avoidance/navigation, emotional support, AI integration and conversation, rubbish patrol and play ball.

Boston Dynamics did not respond to questions from The Canberra Times on how its robot can be used by schools.

Brindabella Christian College did not respond to questions regarding how much the school spent on the Spot robot, how much was spent on travel to the United States to visit Boston Dynamics representatives and whether the robot had arrived at the school and was in use.

The bus advertisement with Spot states "At the time of printing the creative is true and accurate (1/4/24)".

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A collective of former and current parents and staff of the school, known as the Community for Constitutional Reform at Brindabella Christian College, said they continued to raise concerns regarding the governance and accountability of the school.

"The school community deserves better than this. Its staff should be paid on time and in full. Student resources and activities should be the highest priority of the college," the committee said in a statement.

"Instead, we have unfulfilled promises and ads for STEAM centres and robots. The excessive expenditure on lawyers and advertising must cease."

The group said the business manager joining the school board as a director had removed separation of expenditure and impartial oversight.

They said regulators needed to act, considering the extensive coverage of governance issues at the college over many years.

"The governance of the college needs to be refreshed including appointment of an interim board that will report to and be held accountable by the BCC community through an expanded company membership.

"Only this can ultimately begin to restore community confidence that parent paid school fees and government funding is used wisely."

Education Department officials told a Senate estimates hearing last week that the school was not compliant with a series of conditions placed on its approval.

Assistant secretary of Schools Assurance Robyn Beutel said the department only had two options left which were to pause or cease funding for the school.