Chairo Christian School was founded by Christian parents — not a church, nor a denomination. It was parents who felt passionately about the education of their children.
Their desire was to be able to ‘train up (their) children in the way they should go’ Proverbs 22:6
They believed they could best do this by providing a Christ-centred education. They sought an education consistent with, and supportive of, the values they held and were teaching in their own homes.
Starting a school is not easy. It takes faith, courage and lots of hard work. We have much to rejoice about as we look back over the journey!
After years of discussion, planning, prayer and work, Chairo commenced on Lardners Track in 1983. There was one teacher, 19 students and facilities were basic. However, the vision kept the community united and news of the new school spread.
In 1994, Chairo purchased 14 hectares on Balfour Road to create a secondary campus. The original property now caters for Kinder to Year 4. The site on Balfour Road serves Middle School (Years 5–8) and Senior School (Years 9–12), and offers both VCE and VCAL programs.
A Christian school was established in Leongatha by a small group of parents in 1978, five years prior to Chairo’s commencement at Drouin East, and operated for 35 years before becoming a Chairo campus at the beginning of 2014. The campus now caters for students from Kinder through to Year 12 and provides a genuine Christian education option for South Gippsland families.
The vision for Christian education continued to be embraced by more local families. In 1998, a new Pakenham Campus was started on Bald Hill Road. Once again there was an air of excitement, passion and hard work as they laid a foundation for the future. The campus started with less than 50 students but has grown steadily over the years and now caters for students from Kinder to Year 12.
The Traralgon Campus of Flinders Christian Community College became a Chairo campus from the beginning of 2018, thus extending Chairo's operations east into the Latrobe Valley. This campus provides for students from Kinder to Year 8, with older students having the opportunity to complete their secondary schooling at the Drouin Campus.