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Welcome back to Term 3 and what, I am sure, will be a busy time in all our school communities.
It is also a busy time at the Secretariat with a large number of regular meetings scheduled for committees.
We also have a significant number of professional development events in the pipeline over coming weeks, including our Student Protection Forum which takes place next week.
As well, tomorrow (Thursday) we will host the National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) for its regular meeting. We look forward to welcoming members of the Commission to Brisbane.
(Photo source: St Joseph's School The Strand, Facebook)
We are continuing to unpack the fine detail of the Queensland Budget in relation to school funding.
The 2019 Budget marks a shift away from the previous ‘basket nexus’ methodology for calculating recurrent funding for the non-government sector.
The net result is a smaller than expected rise in budget funding for the 2019-20 financial year.
QCEC remains in discussion with the Minister and Department of Education officials about the future impacts of this change and I will be providing you with a detailed update this week.
QCEC is currently working with Catholic School Authorities to develop the 2020-23 workplan for the Non-Government Reform Support Fund (NGRSF).
The Australian Government provides the NGRSF to support the implementation of national policy initiatives set out in the National School Reform Agreement and state-specific reforms agreed in state bilateral agreements.
The policy components of the current Queensland Bilateral Agreement was developed in consultation with all education sectors and signed on behalf of them by State Education Minister Grace Grace last December.
The 2019 QCEC NGRSF Workplan details activities that are being undertaken with this funding and the 2018 QCEC NGRSF Annual Report details activities delivered last year.
A new National Learning Progressions and Online Formative Assessment Initiative website has been launched to provide teachers, school leaders, parents and students with information about work on two important reforms set out in the National School Reform Agreement. These two items being jointly progressed are:
- Enhancing the Australian Curriculum to support teacher assessment of student attainment and growth
- Opt-in online learning assessment tools to assist teachers
This work is being led by the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (ACARA), Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and Education Services Australia (ESA).
The Project Manager, Jenny Donovan, will address QCEC’s Education Reference Group late next month to provide an update on this work and all Catholic School Authorities have been invited to participate in person or via zoom to hear her presentation.
Congratulations to the following eight recipients of this year’s awards including the Aunty Joan Hendriks Reconciliation Award:
Maureen Burton, Brisbane Catholic Education North Schools Service Centre, Archdiocese of Brisbane
Nat See Kee, Our Lady Help of Christians School, Earlville, Diocese of Cairns
Bronwyn Reguson, St Joseph’s Catholic School, The Strand, Diocese of Townsville
Kathleen Hore, Chanel College, Gladstone, Diocese of Rockhampton
Emily O’Sullivan, Mary MacKillop Catholic College, Highfields, Diocese of Toowoomba
Dr Shannon O’Gorman, St James College, Spring Hill, Edmund Rice Education Australia
Robyn Bloomfield, Holy Spirit College, Cooktown, Diocese of Cairns (Aunty Joan Hendriks Reconciliation Award)
Deadly Indigenous Education Workers (Team Award) Emma Shaxson, Melisia Ellis, Marita Murray, Good Shepherd Catholic School, Rasmussen, Diocese of Townsville (Aunty Joan Hendriks Reconciliation Award)
A summary of the work for which the recipients are being recognised is available on the Catholic Education Week website awards page.
These awards will be presented to the recipients at the official launch of Catholic Education Week on Wednesday 31 July at St Joseph’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Rockhampton.
Certificates for all nominees have been provided to schools or Catholic School Authorities to be presented during Catholic Education Week. A complete list of this year’s nominees is also available on the Catholic Education Week website.
Special thanks to event sponsors Australian Catholic Superannuation Retirement Fund and the Australian Catholic University whose support allows the recipients to travel to Rockhampton to receive their awards and provides them with a $500 grant to be used in their school community.
Congratulations to the National Catholic Education Commission’s (NCEC) recently appointed Deputy Director, Peter Hamill.
Peter is well known to many of us through his work with the Catholic Education Commissions of both New South Wales and the ACT, and most recently as Director of Schools for the Broken Bay Diocese in New South Wales.
We look forward to working with Peter at the national level, drawing on his expertise and supporting him in this new role.
QCEC regularly makes submissions on behalf of Catholic School Authorities and recently completed two important submissions on national issues.
QCEC responded to the discussion paper emanating from the Review of the Melbourne Declaration highlighting the need for a continued national approach to education and the need to ensure our education goals are suited to the future our young people will face. Read the submission here.
We have also recently submitted our annual feedback to ACARA regarding Monitoring the Australian Curriculum. Read the submission here.
The input of all CSAs has been vital in collating these submissions and my thanks go to all involved.
On Friday 26 July QCEC will farewell Executive Officer – Education, Marie Previte. Marie is taking up a role with Edmund Rice Education Australia to lead their vocational education and training (VET) work.
I take this opportunity to thank Marie for her work with QCEC particularly in supporting Catholic School Authorities preparing for the introduction of the new Queensland Certificate of Education and the introduction of ATAR.
Marie has also led the Secretariat’s work on VET and STEM initiatives ensuring our CSAs are fully engaged in these important areas.
For Marie it will be a return to working within the EREA family and we wish her all the best in her new endeavours.
Missed a Circular? Below is a list of Circulars that have been issued recently. Use your login to access them.
060 Whistleblower Legislation
061 Board Reporting Catholic Schools Additional Workshop
062 Teacher Suspensions and Cancellations
063 Reporting Timetable 3rd Quarter 2019 Update
064 National School Chaplaincy Program
065 Education Council June Meeting
066 SEA and DLBOTE Data Update 2019
067 Year 12 Finishing Date from 2020
068 Spirit of Catholic Education Award Recipients 2019