In the past few weeks, the issue of religious freedom has been debated strongly in the media, with the focus on whether faith-based schools should be allowed to continue to employ people of their faith; to teach their faith; and to receive government funding.

Despite a mandate to ensure religious schools can continue to build a community of faith, the Australian Law Reform Commission's (ALRC) proposals seriously encroach on the ability of faith-based schools to do so in an authentic way. 

The exemptions in anti-discrimination law currently say that it is not unlawful for faith-based schools to preference the employment of staff of their faith, or those willing to support the ethos of the school.

The ALRC's proposals, if adopted, so severely limit the ability of schools to operate and teach according to their religious beliefs, that it makes a mockery of the authentic nature of a religious school. 

To be very clear, Catholic schools do not, and are not seeking to discriminate, against individuals based on their personal attributes such as sexuality and gender identity. However, we do want to ensure that those who work and learn in our schools are supportive of a Catholic education.

There have been calls in the public arena to say if religious schools want to teach their faith they shouldn't receive public funding.

International law upholds the right of every child to receive a free, compulsory education. Catholic school parents, who are taxpayers, make a substantial contribution to their 'free' education, so they can choose a faith-based school for their children.

International law protects religious belief and the ability to manifest this through parent's right to educate children in a school that aligns with their values and belief and by enabling the establishment of faith-based educational institutions.

International law also protects the rights of the individual to be free of discrimination based on their personal attributes. The two aren't mutually-exclusive and can co-exist with an appropriate balancing of all protected rights.

We have, and will continue, to make our views known on this important issue for Catholic school communities and await the ALRC's report to government and the government's response. 

Jacinta Collins
National Catholic education executive director

The summit brought together parents, community organisations and representatives from across government, non-government, academic and business sectors to discuss the development of the Commonwealth Early Years Strategy.

The summit covered key topics including the vision and priorities for the Early Years Strategy, as well as how we make sure the voices of children and families are at the centre of the strategy.

Jacinta said Catholic education recognised the importance of early learning with the sector ready and willing to expand the delivery of early childhood education in response to increasing need from families. 

“We know that quality early learning plays a key role in preparing children for a good start to school and look forward to working towards identifying areas of reform to ensure early childhood services can be located with schools to better support families and ensure a smooth transition to school.” 

Across Australia, the Catholic education sector operates Catholic preschools and early childhood centres, educating nearly 15,000 children. 

The Early Years Strategy aims to create a new integrated, holistic, whole-of-government approach to ensure children aged five years and below have the best start in life, particularly in the critical early years of development.

The strategy will seek to support improved coordination between government programs, funding and frameworks impacting early childhood development. 

The government would like to hear from a diverse range of voices in the community through a public submission process, survey and roundtables.

The discussion paper is open for public submissions until 30 April 2023.

You can also share your priorities and experiences through a survey until 3 March 2023. To have your say, visit the website. 

Image courtesy of Catholic Education Northern Territory.

Catholic Schools NSW director of education policy Danielle Cronin, and MultiLit director of strategy and senior research fellow and Five from Five project director, Dr Jennifer Buckingham, at last week's Sydney Morning Herald’s Schools Summit. Photos: Informa Connect Australia.

Leaders from across the education sector came together last week for The Sydney Morning Herald’s Schools Summit.

Teacher quality and workforce issues, changes to NAPLAN, evidence-based strategy for reading, improving curriculum planning and early childhood education were among the key topics discussed.

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a universal pre-Kindergarten year by 2030 with 100,000, preschool places.

Labor’s education spokesperson Prue Car MP said, if elected, a Labor government would establish 100 additional preschools linked to state primary schools and support 50 new preschools within the Catholic and independent sectors.

Minister Mitchell said the NSW government was focusing on the National School Reform agreement, wanting 100 per cent funding for public schools and greater transparency on how the money is actually being spent.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Minister Mitchell and Ms Car agreed the system needs to retain more teachers, and expressed concern about media reports criticising teachers amid declining student learning outcomes.

The minister outlined initiatives to retain teachers in NSW including paying excellent teachers more; making 11,000 teachers permanent; and greater support teachers in schools.

Ms Car said if elected, the opposition would not pursue the Coalition’s performance-based scheme. Instead, it would seek to abolish the wage cap on teacher salaries and convert 10,000 teachers to permanent positions.

She said in 2021 teacher resignations overtook retirements with a 48 per cent increase in the number of teachers leaving the profession due to issues including uncompetitive pay, teacher burnout and decline in the attractiveness of the profession.

Speaking as part of a panel discussion on the issues impacting education including teacher shortages, Catholic Schools NSW chief executive officer Dallas McInerney said the role of decreasing class sizes in increasing teacher demand could not be discounted.

Other key speakers representing Catholic education at the summit included MultiLit director of strategy and senior research fellow, and Five from Five Project director, Dr Jennifer Buckingham; Catholic Schools NSW director of education policy Danielle Cronin; Marist College North Shore principal Anthony Boys; St John the Apostle Catholic Primary School assistant principal, Stephanie Thom; Patrician Brothers’ College Blacktown assistant principal – learning teaching and innovation, Cathy Molloy, and Loreto Kirribilli principal Anna Dickinson.

Read more from The Sydney Morning Herald

Photos: St Felix Catholic Primary School, Bankstown, principal Fran Bonanno with students and 2022 Year 9 students from O’Loughlin Catholic College, Karama sitting NAPLAN. 

Catholic schools across Australia have been recognised by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) for the high gains achieved by students in the latest NAPLAN results.  

O’Loughlin Catholic College, Karama in the Northern Territory saw strong improvement with director of teaching and learning Siobhan Shaikh saying the results reflected the college’s position in the Northern Territory as a provider of quality learning and teaching.

"As part of the college’s commitment to ensuring every child makes academic growth, we have implemented a range of tailored approaches in literacy and numeracy," Siobhan said.

"As data-informed practitioners, we closely reflected on the story our data was telling us about literacy and numeracy. From this we determined that addressing low literacy for a small, but significant, number of our students was a priority. In numeracy, it was apparent that growth for some students was not optimal.

"In 2022, we implemented a three-wave approach to literacy which entailed bringing a trained primary literacy teacher on board to work one-on-one and in small groups with targeted students. They also worked with teachers across all learning areas to upskill them in terms of literacy as a general capability and how they could incorporate it into their pedagogy. To improve numeracy growth, we again targeted specific students whose data reflected the capacity to work at a higher level," she said.

"After only one year, the data is telling a promising story. As students prepare to take part in the 2023 NAPLAN, we are optimistic that our approaches will reflect further growth and achievement."

St Felix Catholic Primary School, Bankstown principal Fran Bonanno said staff worked continuously to improve student learning outcomes at the school.

"Central to this is the belief that all students can and want to succeed in learning," she said.

"A combination of data analysis, targeted intervention, strong pedagogical practices, high expectations and teacher capacity building provide the foundations for ongoing student progress.

"We are blessed to have a parent community that encourages their children to do their best and support the school's educational goals."

The information available on the My School website shows the latest school-level NAPLAN data, helping parents, carers, schools and governments to better understand student performance in the foundational skills of literacy and numeracy.

“One of the great strengths of NAPLAN is its ability to highlight areas students can be supported in their learning and where additional resources or early intervention can be applied to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes," National Catholic Education executive director Jacinta Collins said.

Jacinta said recent changes to NAPLAN, to be implemented from this year, will provide a clearer and quicker picture of student learning progress than previous years.

This includes bringing forward the NAPLAN testing schedule from May to mid March this year and the introduction of a new proficiency standard, with four levels of achievement, replacing the previous 10-band structure and the old national minimum standard set in 2008.

“These changes, endorsed by federal, state and territory government education ministers, have been designed to provide parents, school leaders and teachers with a better understanding of how individual students are performing in literacy and numeracy," Jacinta said.

For more information go to the My School website.

The National Report on Schooling in Australia 2021 has been released which outlines progress in the school education sector against nationally agreed policy initiatives.

The report, published by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), addresses the 11 areas of commitment to action specified in the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration.  

The report shows that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, longer-term trends for schooling are positive with long-term gains for attainment and engagement in education, training and work including:   

• an increased number of 17 to 24 year olds (73.4%, up 2% since 2016) who had left school, being fully engaged in education, training or work (2021 Census)  
• the proportion of 20 to 24 year olds attaining at least Year 12 or equivalent (or Australian Qualifications Framework III or above) was 89.9%, compared to 87.9% in 2016, representing a substantial rise in census data over only five years.   

The report found COVID did impact enrolments in Australian schools which increased by only 0.6% from 2020 – the lowest growth in enrolments since 2008 and less than half the average annual growth rate for the previous decade. This is due to the reduction in numbers of international students and a very low immigration rate, including for school-aged children. 

By sector, 65.1 per cent of students were enrolled in government schools, 19.5 per cent in Catholic schools and 15.4 per cent in independent schools. 

In 2021, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students made up 6.2 per cent (249,103) of the total school population. 

Full time equivalent (FTE) teaching staff across primary and secondary schooling increased by 2.4 per cent from 2020 to 303,539. There was a minor reduction in the average FTE student–teacher ratio from 13.5:1 in 2020 to 13.3:1 in 2021. 

The report also details the arrangements made in 2021 to address the pandemic in each jurisdiction, including periods of shutdown and remote learning, noting that “the education sector responded well to the pandemic, with close cooperation between the government, Catholic and independent school sectors”. 

Find the full report on the ACARA website. 

Image: Catholic Education South Australia.

St Rita’s College, Clayfield principal Dale Morrow (pictured) has announced she will be retiring at the end of 2023 after 22 years in leadership positions at the college including 15 years as principal.

Dale has been an advisor to the Australian Government Education Workforce Roundtable, a committee member for CORMSAA, chair of the Education Committee for Religious Institute Schools, a member of the Queensland Catholic Education Commission and was twice awarded an ACEL Fellowship in 2020 and 2022. 

Dale said her experience at St Rita’s has been a proud and happy one and thanked parents for their confidence in entrusting the education of their daughters to her and her staff.

“I have been privileged to witness the many thousands of students who have flourished in receiving an education at St Rita’s,” she said.

“The emphasis on educating the whole person has led to well-rounded individuals who participated in the classroom, in sport and culture, and in social justice opportunities.

“The future for the young of today is an exciting prospect and their education is the key to unlocking many opportunities. It has been a privilege to work among so many dedicated teaching and administrative staff and inspiring to see these educators acting with vision and commitment as they nurture and guide our students to forge futures they are proud of.”

St Rita’s College board chair Graham McManus said Dale has been an outstanding principal over her 22 year association with the college and had made a tremendous contribution to the school and wider Catholic education community.

“During Dale’s tenure, the college’s social justice, mission, educational and cocurricular outcomes have flourished and strengthened the culture of St Rita’s. Over the last 15 years, Dale has led St Rita’s to be a leader in Catholic girls’ school education in Queensland.

“We wish her all the best for her well-deserved retirement.”

Melbourne Catholic school takes part in the Vatican launch of a new Laudato Si’ resource 

Mercy College, Coburg co-captain Lydia in the launch video (Supplied)

Melbourne Catholic school, Mercy College, Coburg has taken part in the launch of a new Laudato Si’ resource from the Vatican: Our common home: A guide to caring for our living planet.

Speaking to a global audience, Mercy College principal Lila McInerney (pictured below) and college co-captain Lydia feature in the publication’s launch video, along with other voices from Italy, Ghana and Puerto Rico.

The new booklet connects the science of climate change, biodiversity and sustainable resource use with the messages of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’.

It is the product of the collaboration between the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Stockholm Environment Institute.

Sr Adele Howard RSM, who works with the Dicastery, was asked to produce videos of key interviews with educators for the February 14 launch and post-launch promotion. 

The 20-page, full colour booklet is available in five languages – English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese.

The educational resource has a clear outline of what needs to change, and inclusion of ways individuals and communities can make a difference.

The booklet is free to download from the Stockholm Environment Institute website. The Dicastery is distributing more than 500,000 print copies of the booklet to parishes around the world.

View the launch video on YouTube.

Read more via CathNews.

Narragunnawali Reconciliation in Education Awards 2023

Nominations and applications are now open for the Narragunnawali Awards 2023.

The Narragunnawali Reconciliation in Education Awards are the only national awards program that recognises and celebrates Australian schools and early learning services that are implementing outstanding reconciliation initiatives. Finalists are acknowledged for strengthening relationships, building respect, and providing meaningful opportunities in the classroom, around the school or service, and with the community. 

Nominate a school or early learning service before 14 April 2023 via the Narragunnawali website.

Give generously to Project Compassion
Spanning across the six weeks of Lent, Project Compassion brings thousands of schools, parishes and supporters together to raise funds for the most marginalised communities around the world.

This year's theme of Project Compassion is ‘For All Future Generations’, and reminds us that the good we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. It is also a call for all of us to play our part in making the world a better place by working together as sisters and brothers in finding long-term solutions to global issues.

To learn how to make a real difference visit Caritas Australia website.

City-Country Partnerships grant applications now open

Applications are now open for the City-Country Partnerships Program aimed at improving school education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Part of the Commonwealth’s first implementation plan under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, the program supports the establishment of formal partnerships between high-performing metropolitan schools and remote schools with a high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to boost outcomes for these students, particularly in reading, mathematics, attendance and school completion.

For more information and to submit expressions of interest go to the Yadha Muru Foundation website.

A prayer for Lent: Invite Us Deeper

Almighty and ever living God,
you invite us deeper into your world, your people, your Lent.
May this time be one of outward focus;
seeking you in those we often ignore.
Help us live a Lent focused on freedom, generosity, and encounter.
Give us hearts hungry to serve you
and those who need what we have to give.
Amen

- Author Unknown