Last week, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) released the NAPLAN 2021 results, which showed no significant impact on student literacy and numeracy achievement during the COVID-19 pandemic (see story below).

We acknowledge the hard work and persistence of school leaders, teachers and families in supporting our students during significant periods of disruption that these early results show.

It’s certainly been a challenging time for our school communities, and for the diocesan, state and territory offices that support them. Many of our communities have contended with long periods of lockdown and home learning, which a number of our schools continue to experience due to current restrictions. 

The pandemic has also impacted student and staff wellbeing, and the economic and social impact on families has been felt right across Australia. 

Thankfully, we are better equipped to deal with the challenges of remote learning this time around. 

While these early results are a good news story, detailed analysis of NAPLAN data will provide a clearer picture of the impact on vulnerable students.

We know there is still a way to go to lift standards for all students, particularly those experiencing educational disadvantage such as students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and students with disability, as well as those from remote areas. 

Our Catholic school leaders, teachers and families continue to be agile and persistent in responding to ongoing COVID disruption and providing essential support to all students, and it's encouraging to see their consistent efforts are supporting improved learning outcomes for the students they serve.

Last week, we learned the very sad news of the passing of former National Catholic Education Commission member, educator and advocate, Fr John Neill OP (see story below). 

I join with the many voices across the Catholic community, to recognise the lifelong contribution Fr John has made to Catholic education, particularly his role as a champion of tertiary Catholic education and work at both the University of Notre Dame Australia and Australian Catholic University. 

Fr John was a man of faith and a well-respected leader who made a remarkable contribution to Catholic education in Australia. 

Our thoughts and prayers are with Fr John's family, friends and parish community during this sad time.

Jacinta Collins
National Catholic education executive director

Image: Pixabay

On 25 August, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) released the NAPLAN 2021 summary results. 

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had no significant impact on students’ literacy and numeracy achievement at the national and state/territory level. 

Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge said the headline results were pleasing but further analysis of the detailed data was needed, as part of a broader look at the impacts of COVID-19 on Australian students.

“It is certainly a relief that we have not yet seen the significant declines that we may have expected due to school closures, particularly in Victoria,” Minister Tudge said in a media release. 

“The results also show a resilience among young Australians and they are testament to the hard work of teachers and parents who are supporting learning at home.

“I remain very concerned about the ongoing impact of school closures on young people and their families, particularly the mental health impacts," he said. 

ACARA CEO David de Carvalho said these results will be welcomed by governments, schools, parents and carers as a first national insight into the educational impact of the pandemic.

“It’s reassuring to see that overall, our students’ literacy and numeracy standards have not significantly suffered, despite the major disruptions of COVID-19 and remote learning," he said in a media release.

"The results suggest that persistent effort to improve outcomes pays off," he said. "However, this does not mean there has been no impact on specific students or demographic groups," he said. 

Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Ltd (CECV) executive director Jim Miles said under the most trying of circumstances, this year’s results are a credit to the professionalism and dedication of principals, teachers, students and their families. 

"During the pandemic, principals and teachers have built stronger relationships with parents – every child’s first educators – and inspired a collaborative effort to ensure educational continuity and spiritual and emotional growth for the students in their care," he said in a statement.

"‘While there is a lot to unpack from the data, the results broadly show improvements in literacy across the [Victorian] Catholic sector, with some declines in numeracy scores." 

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Above: Fr John Neill OP OAM with Blackfriars Priory School students in 2016. 

For 200 years Catholic schools have been established and staffed by pioneer clergy, religious and lay educators, many of whom devoted their entire lives to Catholic education. 

“Let us not forget the pioneer Catholic families and the early priests and teachers whose faith, courage and understanding enabled them to build and staff a network of schools.” (McGee, C. 2017). 

This lifelong contribution to Catholic education is exemplified through the work of Fr John Neill OP OAM, who passed into eternal rest on Saturday 21 August at the age of 89. 

Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher OP said Fr John was a man of faith, modesty and real kindness. 

“He was a loyal son of St Dominic, a true pastor and a much-loved university chaplain,” he said. 

“Fr John made a quite extraordinary contribution to Catholic education in this country.”

National Catholic Education executive director Jacinta Collins said Fr John was a passionate advocate, who made a remarkable contribution to Catholic education in Australia. 

“Fr John’s work as a teacher, school leader and instrumental champion of tertiary Catholic education, exemplifies the enduring contribution the clergy have made to Catholic education in Australia over 200 years.”

“In honouring Fr John, we also acknowledge his contribution as a member of the National Catholic Education Commission,” Jacinta said in statement. 

The University of Notre Dame Australia’s vice chancellor Professor Francis Campbell praised Fr John a one of the founding fathers of Catholic universities in Australia and a leading light in Catholic education.

“Fr John made such a unique and rich contribution to our University, to its very creation and growth and Fr John was one of those visionary leaders who stepped forward to create what we have today,” Prof Campbell said in a statement.  

"While we are greatly saddened by the loss, we are thankful to have known Fr John and to have benefited so much from his love and commitment."

Australian Catholic University vice chancellor and president Professor Zlatko Skrbis said Fr John impacted the lives of many staff and students at the university in its foundational years, an impact that continues to resonate today in the mission and values of ACU that he worked so passionately with others to instil at the university’s establishment in 1991.

“He brought his extensive experience in Catholic education, deeply influenced by his Dominican charism and always ensuring the foundations of ACU were firmly anchored on the heritage and traditions of the university’s predecessor colleges,” Prof Skrbis told the Catholic Weekly.

Fr John spent 25 years at Blackfriars Priory School in Adelaide starting as a teacher in 1963 and then became headmaster from 1972 to 1988. He was the fifth headmaster of the school and each year the Fr John Neill Scholarship supports a Year 12 student in need, providing assistance for the tuition and school expenses.

He served for a time as chair of the South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools, as a member of the Standing Committee of the Headmasters Conference of Australia and as a member of the National Catholic Education Commission.

Fr John was the University of Notre Dame Australia’s (UNDA) first employee, establishing and became director of the Notre Dame Planning Office in 1988, that preceded its formal foundation in the 1989 and brought to life the first Catholic university in Australia.

He was also a foundation member of the company of the Australian Catholic University and served as a member of the ACU senate. 

Read more about the life of Fr John Neill

Reference: McGee C. 2017 'Catholic Education in Colonial New South Wales'. 

The National Catholic Education Commission in collaboration with educators across Australia has delivered new improvements to the Scripture for Teachers website. 

The digital resource has been developed in collaboration with a number of Religious educators and leaders from across the country. 

The website assists Religious Education teachers to engage personally with Sacred Scripture and supports in planning how to use and engage students with Scripture passages, and includes:

• Foundations presenting Catholic understanding of Scripture
• Commentaries and materials on a number of scripture passages
• Glossary of terms used in Foundations and Commentaries
• Resource links to further assist teachers 

Catholic Education South Australia Religious Education and Faith Formation advisor Alison Gore said the website has been developed specifically for teachers of Religious Education in Catholic schools.

"Each of the commentaries has been written to include material that will be useful for teachers in dialoguing with scripture with their students using a three worlds of the text approach," Alison said.

"Teachers of every year level will find content that will assist them and their students in interpreting the original context of the gospel and exploring what it might mean for us today," she said. 

Mount St Benedict College assistant principal and dean of mission Dr Paul Lentern said he found working on this site to be very enjoyable and worthwhile.

"Scripture is a foundational element of the teaching of Religious Education, yet few teachers have significant formal training in this area," he said.

"The commentaries on this site are very well crafted to include important insights from biblical scholarship in an easily accessible style.

"These commentaries will help teachers to be confident in their use of bible texts and allow students to reap the rich benefits of a biblically literate study of scripture," Paul said. 

Australian Catholic University theology and philosophy senior lecturer Dr Margaret Carswell supports the website through reviewing commentaries prior to publication.

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On 11 August, the Australian Government launched a new online mental health program for young people and their parents.

The #ChatStarter program is a unique and collaborative approach to community mental health support, using social media to connect, engage and promote the benefits of supportive conversations with young people and children who are going through a difficult time.

Young people and parents are encouraged to access a library of tools and resources through the Head to Health website.

The program has been created jointly by the National Mental Health Commission, ReachOut, Butterfly Foundation, Orygen, batyr, headspace, Kids Helpline and Beyond Blue and will be delivered through the support of social networking platforms Facebook and Instagram, and crowdsourced from a number of contributors through TikTok with links linking back to the Head to Health website.

Assistant minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention David Coleman said #ChatStarter is aimed at empowering parents and young people to recognise and respond to signs of distress through conversation and providing access to appropriate resources.

"#ChatStarter is an invaluable tool at a time when Australians are understandably fatigued after more than 18 months of COVID-19," assistant minister Coleman said in a media release.  

“Many people, some for the first time in their lives, are distressed and experiencing serious mental health challenges.

“This is particularly true for an increasing number of children and young people who have faced disruptions to their schooling and sporting activities and who have often been separated from their friends and loved ones such as grandparents.

In designing and developing the program the National Mental Health Commission bought together more than 50 young people and parents, seeking their real life experience alongside key mental health support services.

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Catholic students celebrate Book Week

Catholic students across the country have taken part in the Children's Book Council of Australia's 75th Book Week.

The 2021 theme was 'Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds' and school communities took part in the celebrations, both virtually and face-to-face, to share their love of reading.

All Saints Primary School, Albany Creek teacher-librarian Amanda Bradford said Book Week is all about promoting the love of literature for our students.

"We want our students to walk away from this week knowing that reading is fun, to enjoy it and for them to hook themselves into a great book," she shared in a video message.  

See below some of the highlights from Book Week events. 

St Laurence's Parish School Forbes, Diocese of Wilcannia Forbes student.	Student from St Luke's Marsden Park, Diocese of Parramatta.
Students at St Gerard Majella School, Woree Diocese of Cairns.	Staff member at St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Parish School, Epping North Archdiocese of Melbourne.

Catholic educator shares her story 

Genazzano FCJ College Kew, in the Archdiocese of Melbourne, teacher Ann Rennie has shared her experiences in the Catholic education system and lessons she has learnt in her new book Blessed: Meditations on a Life of Small Wonders. 

Images: St Joseph’s College Gregory Terrace students take part in the Socktober shootout event. 

St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace Religious Education leader, Monica Keating, who has lived and worked in some of the poorest communities in the world, has seen the positive impact of outreach programs. 

“I've been a volunteer in Vietnam and twice in Thailand, working with refugees in a school, so I've seen shocking poverty, and I know that the little bit of support we can give is certainly very worthwhile,” said Monica.

Monica says Socktober, a national primary and secondary school community engagement program run by Catholic Mission, has equipped her to involve the heads, hearts, and hands of her students who haven't yet shared her experience.

“I said to our students, ‘Children your age in a third world country can't go and buy a soccer ball; they haven't got the money. So, we're going to make our own here and experience that reality’."

“We used totally recycled material and made our own ‘sockballs’. It was a fun activity," she said. "The boys loved it and we raised money and we helped others who are less fortunate - I thought it was amazing."

Creating a “sockball” is one of the first goals of the Socktober Challenge, which kicks off around Australia on September 6.

It is a program that lays a platform for Australian students to learn the reality of children in situations of need and take action to make a positive difference in their lives. 

The challenge consists of six Mission Packs which are modules filled with activities, reflections, and "goals to kick" that can be integrated into classroom or home-based learning at any pace.

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On 12 September, the Church in Australia marks Safeguarding Sunday at the conclusion of National Child Protection Week.

Safeguarding Sunday seeks to acknowledge the immense damage caused by the sexual abuse of children and adults at risk, including by priests, religious and lay people within Catholic contexts. It makes a commitment to practices and protocols that create and maintain safe environments for all people.

It invites all across the community to pray for those harmed by abuse directly and indirectly.

The Catholic Church and its ministries are committed to practices and protocols that create and maintain safe environments for all people.

Information about reporting allegations, the National Catholic Safeguarding Standards and the various national organisations with responsibility for safeguarding and child protection is avalaible via the Catholic Professional Standards website. 

A number of resources have been created to support local recognition of Safeguarding Sunday, including:

• Prayers of intercession 
• Sunday prayer
• Powerpoint slides
• Website banners and social media graphics 

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From Humble Beginnings: Commemorating 200 years of Catholic education in Australia features a history of the first Catholic school in each existing diocese in Australia. The commemorative book is full colour and includes historical and contemporary images of the schools. It is available in paperback and hardcover versions and would make a great addition to school libraries or as a bicentenary memento.

Safeguarding Sunday Prayer 2021

Gracious God,
you love and care for all of your children,
especially the smallest and most vulnerable.
We entrust to you the lives of children and adults at risk
who have been sexually abused,
and whose trust and innocence have been destroyed. 

Help us to hear their cries of pain
and to take responsibility for those whose lives have been broken.
Help us to recognise the hurt felt by those wounded by abuse,
and the failure to be heard.

We pray that with the help of your grace
communities and families will find understanding and support,
so that now and in the future
their wounds may be healed
and they may find lasting peace.

Let your grace and love fall gently now upon our children and adults at risk,
giving them the inner strength, peace and resilience
to seek out assistance when required. 

We ask this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.

Amen

- Australian Catholic Bishops Conference 

WITH THANKS TO OUR CELEBRATION PARTNERS