Tag Archives: Education

Budget 2017: Fairness and compassion should be the cornerstones of our society

bigstock--166382459_200Fairness and compassion should be the cornerstones of our society. How we treat our poorest and most vulnerable is a measure of our commitment to a fair and just society.

Today, Archbishop Denis Hart, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference said, the Catholic Bishops welcome the government’s commitment to fully fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme and its housing measures to help people secure more affordable housing.

The Bishops acknowledge the government’s decision to remove earlier measures from the 2014-15 budget that may have affected families and the vulnerable in our society.

For those on the very margins of our society, especially those with no prospect of meaningful work, the budget offers no new hope.

‘A lack of regard for the poor and marginalised alienates them from society rather than allowing them to participate fully within it,’ Archbishop Hart said. Continue reading →

Why do we need faith in order to lead effectively?

Archbishop Costelloe

Archbishop Costelloe

Opening Reflection by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, Chair of the Australian Catholic Bishops Commission for Catholic Education at the NCEC conference on Sunday 19 June 2016.

Good afternoon everyone. My name is Archbishop Tim Costelloe and it is my great pleasure and honour to welcome you all to the National Catholic Education Commission Conference for 2016. I do so in my capacity as the Archbishop of Perth, as Chair of the Australian Catholic Bishops Commission for Catholic Education, as a proud and passionate supporter of our Catholic schools and as a fellow disciple of Jesus Christ with all of you. And so to you all, locals and visitors alike, leaders, teachers, and students in our schools and Education Offices, laity, religious and clergy, special guests and presenters, friends of Catholic education, and all of you brothers and sisters together as God’s holy people, welcome. Continue reading →

Minister and the Opposition Leader address Catholic Educators

Minister for Education and Training Senator Simon Birmingham.

Minister for Education and Training Senator Simon Birmingham.

The joint hosts of the National Catholic Education Commission 2016 Conference have said the presence of Minister for Education and Training Senator Simon Birmingham and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten at the gathering of 1,400 Catholic educators shows the value the politicians place on the role of Catholic schools in Australian society.

“With just 12 days until the federal election, Minister Birmingham and Mr Shorten have prioritised this event to explain their parties’ vision for Australian education and the important role that the 1,731 Catholic schools across Australia play in that educational enterprise,” NCEC executive director Ross Fox said.

Tim McDonald, executive director of Catholic Education Western Australia, said the visit “strengthens the already close bond that the 163 Catholic schools in Western Australia have with local and national political leaders in supporting the education of 78,000 students in all parts of the state”. Continue reading →

Protect kids from pornography

Internet Porn ConceptChildren have a right to be children, away from harms that can be inflicted on them by being exposed to pornography.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference made this assertion in a submission published last week by the Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications.

“We live in a sexualised culture where pornography has been mainstreamed. There is significant use of sexualised images in areas of advertising, music videos and computer games. Many of the images that confront children in day-to-day life are based on poses used in pornography. The reach of pornography through the Internet and particularly mobile devices has led to the sexualisation of our community,” said Bishop Peter Comensoli, acting chair of the Bishops Commission for Family, Youth and Life.

Continue reading →

Reduce the funding gap for Catholic Schools

Media Release, 2 February, 2012

The school funding data in this week’s ROGS Report (Productivity Commission, Report on Government Services 2012, pages 4.33 and 4.34) provides a very interesting statistic.

• Government funding for government schools has increased each year in the period 2005-06 to 2009-10 by an average of 2.7%.

• Government funding for non-government schools has increased over the same period by an annual average of just 0.7%.

NCEC calls on the Commonwealth Government to reduce the operating resources gap in Catholic schools. Continue reading →