The announcement of the impending closure of Anglicare Victoria’s Educational Services Unit last week took many parents by surprise.

For some of them, who say their children will face extreme difficulties in completing their education in mainstream schools, Anglicare’s handling of the announcement has only added to their distress.

And for Leanne Cullen, whose son Riley Hunter attends the ESU, the news that Anglicare chief executive officer Paul McDonald had requested a meeting with Education Minister James Merlino on Thursday was the first indication the decision was not driven by the government.

“Originally we were told in a letter that it was the Education Department that didn't see this as a fit education, it wasn't meeting the education guidelines, when in fact it seems like Anglicare has only just written to the Education Department about it and the Education Department knew nothing prior to this about it,” she said.

Ms Cullen said communication between Anglicare and parents had been poor from the start, with the shock announcement first made known to students during school hours, leaving parents with no opportunity to discuss it with them, or the school, beforehand.

“My son was the first person to tell me that the school was closing, he had gone to school and received the information from the teachers the school was going to be closing at the end of the year and he contacted me to let me know and then I got home that night to find a letter to say that the school was closing,” she said.

“They should have let parents know first so they could speak to their children about it, so that wasn’t communicated very well I don’t think.”

Joy Harris, who said the school had been a “lifesaver” for her son William, was also frustrated with the lack of a clear explanation for the decision to close its doors.

“I don’t understand,” she said.

“They’ve created this [school], they’ve supported all these children for so long and all of a sudden they don’t matter. [The say] they’re going to slowly integrate them back into mainstream but they came from mainstream, what's going to be different?”

Earlier this week Anglicare regional director Carolyn Wallace told the Bendigo Advertiser the decision was based on an inability to meet state government requirements rather than funding concerns, but would not be drawn on specifics.

That position changed on Thursday when Ms Wallace indicated changes to the state government funding model for the program were behind the decision.

But Education Minister James Merlino said the department was not aware Anglicare was planning to close the school, and was yet to receive Mr McDonald’s letter.

“I have asked my department to make contact with [Anglicare] and provide me with further details about the situation and consider the options going forward,” he said.