The Commission held its first meeting for the year on Tuesday 19 February and this provided an opportunity to welcome two new Commission members – Susan Frisby who represents the Catholic Education Council - Archdiocese of Brisbane and Mark Stower who joins the Commission as a representative of Religious Institute/Public Juridical Persons Catholic School Authorities (RI/PJP CSAs). I welcome both Susan and Mark to the Commission and look forward to working with them in their new roles.

The meeting was also an opportunity to define some of the strategic issues that the Commission will consider in greater depth during 2019 and to discuss a number of position statements under development or review. These discussions set the scene for a busy year for the Commission as we continue the work of supporting and developing Catholic education in Queensland.

This year we have welcomed three new principals to Religious Institute/PJP Schools.   We look forward to working with Trevor Goodwin (Iona College), Stephen Koch (Downlands College) and Ann Rebgetz (St James College) as they begin their time as leaders of their new school communities.

Last week I had the opportunity to meet with them, along with Mark Elliott (Regional Director of Marist Schools Australia), to brief them on the role of the Commission, the secretariat structure and the services QCEC provides to and on behalf of Catholic School Authorities. It was also an opportunity for the Principals to clarify the role of the Commission and the secretariat in relation to their own governance structures.

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Education Council, made up of State and Territory Education Ministers, met in Melbourne last week and made several noteworthy decisions.

The Council gave in-principle support to the scope and focus of a National Evidence Institute. The institute is an initiative born out of the National School Reform Agreements and a recommendation of the Through Growth to Achievement Review Report and is aimed at informing teacher practice, system improvement and policy development. Work on this project is expected to run through 2019.

The Education Council also agreed on the way 2018 NAPLAN data will be reported on the My School website.  As the 2018 data is the first to include information from NAPLAN Online there will be some changes to the way results are presented. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) is working with states and territories to finalise the presentation of data.

Ministers also began work on updating the 2008 Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. Improvements to the the Declaration were considered that cover:

• The importance of early learning
• The changing nature of education, the economy and work
• Increasing the need for lifelong learning
• Renewed emphasis on vocational education and training
• Renewed focus on equity
• The importance of smooth and carefully planned transitions.

A wide-ranging consultation phase is expected to follow. 

Read the full Education Council Communique here.

Read the Federal Education Minister's Media Release on the Melbourne Declaration here.

Congratulations to all the students, including nine from Catholic schools, who were recognised and rewarded recently with QCE Achievement Awards.

These awards, presented by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA), recognise Queensland’s top performing students for outstanding academic achievement in their senior school studies.

My congratulations to the 2018 Catholic school graduates who were recognised as Distinguished Academic Achievers:

Georgia Bartley, All Hallows’ School
Ava Disney, St Rita’s College
Zoe Hulme-Peake, Downlands College
Grace Nakamura, Lourdes Hill College
Benedict Panizza, St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace
Flynn Pearman, Padua College
Dominic Previtera, St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace
Thomas Waldie, St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace
Claire Zemek, Lourdes Hill College

These students were among 35 students who were recognised at the QCE Achievement Awards ceremony from schools across Queensland.

Downlands College 2018 College Dux Zoe Hulme-Peake receiving her award. (Photo source: Facebook)

QCE Achievement Awards — Class of 2018 with Minister for Education and Minister for Industrial Relations, The Honourable Grace Grace, and Mr Brian Short, Chair of the QCAA. (Photo source: Facebook)

Congratulations also to more than 1400 students from Queensland schools, including many from Catholic schools, who gathered at ACU’s Banyo campus last week to celebrate receiving scholarships from the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation (QATSIF). 

The scholarships support Indigenous students through Years 11 and 12, building on existing school and community programs.

Scholarship recipients from Lourdes Hill College (pictured below) were blessed to have the school’s Elder-in-Residence, Aunty Joan Hendriks, in attendance for the event.

The Australian Government has launched its Future Ready: A student focused National Career Education Strategy and resources are being developed for schools, parents and students to support this strategy.  

Two Queensland Catholic schools have been identified as examples of practice for Career Education to be incorporated into these resources: Our Lady of the Southern Cross College, Dalby and St Peter Claver College, Riverview.

These schools will feature in upcoming video illustrations of practice. Congratulations to the staff and students at these schools. I look forward to seeing their work included in the resources as they progress.

Congratulations to Professor Frank Brennan SJ AO who will be awarded the Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa) by the Chancellor of the University of Divinity, Dr Graeme L Blackman AO at the University’s graduation ceremony on Friday 22 March at St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne.

Recently noted by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Sherlock, was Fr Brennan’s “professional contribution and engagement draws on theological insight to constitute a remarkable and sustained application of the University’s vision and mission”.

Read the full citation for Fr Brennan’s award here.

Next week, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent in our liturgical calendar. During Lent we are called to reflect on Jesus’ life and death, his response to his calling, his ministry, death and resurrection.

With the beginning of Lent, Caritas has launched Project Compassion for 2019, its major annual fundraising and education appeal.  The theme for Project Compassion 2019 is “Give Hope 100%”.

Visit the website for more information on Project Compassion and to access resources on this year’s theme for school groups.

The Bishop of Lismore is seeking to appoint a Director of Catholic Schools to lead and direct the educational mission of Catholic schools within the Diocese.

See the advertisement for the role here. Applications close Friday 22nd March 2019.

Read the Homily of Archbishop Mark Coleridge at Sala Regia

Premier sets coding challenge for young Queenslanders

Bullying. No Way! Friday 15 March 2019 – resources now available

Missed a Circular? Below is a list of Circulars that have been issued recently. Use your login to access them.

016  Capital Project Accountant Statement

017  Australian Government Reporting and Funding Information

018  Additional Information on 2019 Student Residential Address and Other Information Collection

019  Capital Grant Contribution Guidelines