Summary Minutes - Catholic Education Commission NSW

CATHOLIC EDUCATION COMMISSION, NEW SOUTH WALES
TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FOURTH MEETING
15TH MARCH 2006
SUMMARY REPORT
The 274th meeting of the Catholic Education Commission, New South Wales was held on
15th March 2006 in the Clancy/Gilroy Rooms, Polding Centre, Level 5, 133 Liverpool Street
Sydney. The meeting was chaired by Bishop Anthony Fisher OP.
In opening the meeting the Chairman welcomed Mr. John Tubridy, Acting Director of
Schools, Diocese of Wollongong, who has been nominated by Bishop Ingham of
Wollongong Diocese as his representative on the CEC.
A Summary Report of the Commission meeting is provided below:
1.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
MEETING WITH NSW SHADOW MINISTER
The Executive Directors of the CEC (Dr. Brian Croke) and the Association of
Independent Schools (Mr. Geoff Newcombe) held an inaugural consultation with the
new NSW Shadow Minister for Education and Training, Mr. Brad Hazzard MP on 1
March. Mr Hazzard is still orienting himself to the issues affecting non-government
schools and is interested to familiarise himself with the detail of policy and
expectations of Catholic schools in particular. He was briefed on the structure and
operation of funding for non-government schools and issues arising from the
Grimshaw Report, as well as processes involved in registration and accreditation of
schools.
CONSULTATION WITH ANGLICAN SCHOOLS CORPORATION
An initial meeting with the Executive Director (Dr Laurie Scandrett) and Corporate
Secretary (Mr. Max Caddy) of the Sydney Anglican Schools Corporation was held on
Monday 27 February. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the increasing number
of items of common interest around NSW and Commonwealth regulation of
schooling, including accountability and compliance requirements for schools, as well
as public policy discussions related to the issues of religious freedom and early
childhood education. It was considered a mutually beneficial meeting and it was
agreed that similar meetings should be held between officers of the CEC Secretariat
and the Anglican Schools Corporation from time to time.
PUBLIC POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING
The latest meeting of the CEC’s Public Policy Committee, chaired by Br. Kelvin
Canavan fms, was held on 13 March. The committee discussed a range of current
and emerging political issues impacting on Catholic schools (including
Commonwealth and State funding reviews, anti-Discrimination Legislation), and
approved (subject to consultation with parents) the designs prepared by Strategic for
the base public document to be produced in April. It was also agreed to support the
concept for the differently coloured series of A-4 brochures on specific topics to be
published throughout the year. In addition, the Committee reviewed its plans for
encouraging schools, directors and principals to publicise the Interest Subsidy
Scheme, especially newly approved subsidies, and was advised of ongoing
consultation with government over new land releases in western Sydney.
FEBRUARY 2006 SCHOOLS CENSUS
2
The census of non-government schools for the purpose of paying the first half year
NSW State per capita grants was held on Friday 10 February 2006. Of particular
interest is the decline in the number of students in primary schools in most dioceses
in 2006. It is not clear to what extent this is the result of underlying demographic
trends and/or local factors. The following table sets out the 2006 and 2005 student
numbers for systemic schools only (excluding Part-time and Full-Fee Paying
Overseas students) in each diocese:
Feb Preliminary
Funded Students
Armidale
Bathurst
Broken Bay
Canberra/Goulburn
Lismore
Maitland-Newcastle
Parramatta
Sydney
Wagga Wagga
Wilcannia/Forbes
Wollongong
Total:
2005
3,996
5,795
10,540
4,731
9,263
9,490
22,801
36,370
5,309
2,087
10,311
120,693
Primary
2006
4,019
5,734
10,698
4,649
9,093
9,413
22,843
36,331
5,218
2,066
10,220
120,284
Diff
23
-61
158
-82
-170
-77
42
-39
-91
-21
-91
-409
2005
1,984
3,376
5,176
2,918
7,226
7,744
18,838
26,523
2,909
500
5,602
82,796
Secondary
2006
1,983
3,403
5,274
2,987
7,350
7,850
18,748
26,511
3,456
0
5,858
83,420
Diff
-1
27
98
69
124
106
-90
-12
547
-500
256
624
Note that the 2005 enrolments include Red Bend, Forbes (systemic in 2005, nonsystemic in 2006), while the 2006 figures include Catholic High (now Marian Catholic
College), Griffith (non-systemic in 2005, systemic in 2006).
CEC SYMPOSIUM ON FULL-FEE PAYING OVERSEAS STUDENTS
On 2 March the CEC hosted its first symposium for officers in dioceses and
congregational schools responsible for the enrolment of overseas students in NSW
Catholic schools. Also invited were officers from AIS and DET. The Government
departments responsible for policy determination in this area, DEST and DIMA, both
provided presentations. DEST foreshadowed changes to the Education Services for
Overseas Students Act (ESOS) and the National Code of Practice for Registration
Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students (The
National Code). When the legislation is released (mid-2006) the CEC may need to
consider the implications for its on-going role as the CRICOS provider for the
majority of NSW Catholic schools. As the registered CRICOS provider CEC has just
paid the annual registration for 2006 ($21,443.50), determined on the basis of the
number of full fee paying overseas students registered during 2005. In addition to the
CRICOS charge an annual amount of $665 was payable to NSW VETAB.
COMMONWEALTH INQUIRY INTO TEACHER EDUCATION: CEC HEARING
On 10 May 2005 CEC made a written submission to the Australian House of
Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Vocational Training in
response to its inquiry into Teacher Education. On 8 March 2006, CEC Secretariat
staff members Mr Ian Baker, Ms Rosalie Nott and Mr Paul Rodney attended a
Committee hearing and provided further input to the inquiry. Hearing proceedings
canvassed: (1) The profile of the Catholic sector teaching force e.g. gender, years of
experience; (2) Provision of continuing education for teachers e.g. AGQTP initiatives
and VET accreditation for teachers; (3) Practicum issues; (4) Institute of Teachers
accreditation matters; (5) Pre-service education matters, in particular pedagogy for
the use of ICT.
274 Summary Commission Minutes March 2006
3
INDIGENOUS EDUCATION PROGRAMME: MONITORING FORUM
On 9 March 2006 CEC participated in its first 2006 Indigenous Education
Programme (IEP), Supplementary Recurrent Assistance (SRA) monitoring forum with
DEST, with new Commissioner Graeme Mundine also attending. In addition to input
from DEST and CEC Secretariat officers, valuable reports were provided by program
officers from both the CEO Sydney and CEO Wilcannia-Forbes. Program issues
explored included; (1) Clarification of 2005-2008 Performance Targets for literacy
and numeracy, especially for Year 7 in the areas of reading, writing, numeracy; (2)
Discussion of UAI, Performance Band and Benchmark reporting requirements,
including the role of the State Minister; (3) Aboriginal Education Worker (AEW)
professional development reporting requirements. In addition to SRA reporting
matters discussion also focused on barriers to Catholic sector participation in the
DEST “In Class Tuition” and “Parent Participation” programs, as well as the growing
importance of Boarding School initiatives. IEP, SRA funding of $5,747,382.50
(adjusted according to final Indigenous enrolments as determined by the August
2006 Schools’ Census) supports 3,329.6 Catholic school students for 2005. IEP,
SRA funding issues have been resolved, with DEST fully accepting CEC’s advice on
all funding discrepancies.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS ENROLMENT TRENDS, 2005
The CEC,NSW houses and develops the Australian Catholic Education Statistics
(ACES) database for the NCEC. An annual report on Enrolment Trends up to and
including the previous year is prepared by Crichton Smith for NCEC. The 2005 report
was received by NCEC at its February meeting. The 2005 data for NSW shows,
among other things, (1) an increase of over 1000 students mainly in secondary; (2)
the continuing decline in Catholic students and increase in non-Catholic students; (3)
increase in Students with a Disability and Indigenous students.
OPENING OF NOTRE DAME AUSTRALIA, SYDNEY CAMPUS
On Friday 3 March the new Sydney campus of the University of Notre Dame
Australia was opened by the Prime Minister John Howard, an alumnus of NDA
having received an honorary doctorate in 2001. In his opening remarks he stressed
his government’s new policy of extending Commonwealth subsidised choice in
education from schools to higher education. Also participating in the opening were
Cardinal George Pell, the University’s Chancellor (Justice Neville Owen) and Vice
Chancellor (Dr. Peter Tannock) as well as the President Emeritus of Notre Dame,
USA (Fr. Edward Molloy). The campus has been rebuilt and refurbished on the
historic site of St Benedict’s Broadway which formerly housed both St Benedict’s
school and the Archdiocese of Sydney’s Catholic Education Office. NDA Sydney
commences with over 400 students in education, law and business. The Dean of
Education is Professor Alan Coman, previously principal of Stella Maris, Manly.
2.
LIKE SCHOOL GROUPS (LSG): REPORTING SCHOOL ASSESSMENT DATA –
YEARS 3,5 & 7
The Commission approved maintenance of current CEC LSG reporting practice, that
is, information provided in diocesan electronic reports only, and also approved
maintenance of the current CEC protocol related to the use of LSG data, that is, that
release of LSG data to schools remains the prerogative of the Diocesan office.
3.
APPOINTMENT OF CEC COMMITTEE CHAIRS
The Commission appointed the following Commissioners as Chairs of the CEC
Standing Committees for 2006 and the CEC Vocational Education Advisory Group
(VEAG) for 2006 – 2007:

Standing Committee on Education Policy – Mr Ray Collins.

Standing Committee on Religious Education in Schools – Sr Ailsa
Mackinnon rsj.

Standing Committee on School Resources – Mr Stephen Marchant.
274 Summary Commission Minutes March 2006
4


4.
Standing Committee on Specific Purpose Programs – Mr Don Ellem.
Vocational Education Advisory Group – Mrs Dianne Marshall.
ROADS & TRAFFIC AUTHORITY (RTA) FUNDING AGREEMENT
The Commission authorised the Executive Director to execute the agreement which
has been extended for two years, 2006 & 2007.
5.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES – CEC PROFILING PROJECT
As a consequence of delays in the Profiling Project due to the decision of the
Independent Education Union (IEU) to impose work bans on the Project, the
Commission agreed that the project timeline be extended into Term 2 2006.
The Commission also agreed that, as a result of the extension of the Profiling Project
of any revised CEC special education targeted funding arrangements could not now
be completed until August 2007 which will mean in a practical sense that the
implementation of any new funding arrangements cannot occur any earlier than
Term 1 2008.
Other pertinent details regarding this project are:

A cross diocesan stratified sample of 1849 students with disabilities (from a
total group of 8,176) will be profiled for the purpose of this project as well as
all 356 students in Catholic Special Schools.

The IEU had recently lifted the work bans and indicated their support for the
Profiling Project.

The profiling exercise has been very successful to date with excellent
feedback from participants and parents.
Later in the year the CEC will be determining the funding allocation for Special
Schools for 2007 from the Commonwealth Targeted Program Funding (For 2006, an
amount of $3 Million was quarantined for Special Schools from the Targeted
Program funding). Special School Authorities will be advised later in the year
whether this arrangement is to continue during 2007.
6.
RESPECT & RESPONSIBILITY: STATE PROGRAM
Recently the NSW Premier announced new school initiatives in support of the NSW
Government’s plan to promote the community values of respect and responsibility.
The Commission noted advice from the NSW Minister for Education and Training,
the Hon Carmel Tebbutt MLA, that initiatives involving all NSW schools are:
-
A Respect and Responsibility Forum to be held on 30 May 2006.
-
Development of new teaching resources for all schools K-10.
Unlike the Australian Government Values Education program, the NSW Respect and
Responsibility initiatives are unfunded at this stage.
The Forum on 30 May will be held in the theatrette at State Parliament House in
Sydney and attendees will be invited from teachers, parents and student leaders
across NSW to look at ways schools can promote strong community values.
7.
WORLD YOUTH DAY 2008
The Chairman, Bishop Anthony Fisher OP, assisted by Ms Cathy Campbell, provided
the Commission with a detailed presentation on World Youth Day which is to be held
in Sydney in July 2008.
World Youth Day will impact on schools in that it is envisaged that all schools in
Sydney will be utilised as accommodation and meal centres for the young adults
participating in the events of the week from July 15 to July 20 2008.
274 Summary Commission Minutes March 2006
5
For the purposes of the event, a young adult is a person between 16 and 35 years of
age.
Some 150,000 to 200,000 pilgrims are expected to register for the full week’s
activities, including 90,000 – 120,000 international registrants.
Metropolitan Parishes will be asked to assist in accommodation arrangements
through the billeting of pilgrims in parishioners’ homes and in schools.
Bishop Fisher said that from Palm Sunday this year, material about World Youth Day
2008 will begin to be distributed to Catholic communities, including schools across
Australia.
Paul Crombie
Secretary to the Commission
4 April 2006
274 Summary Commission Minutes March 2006