Nowhere in the world is there a Catholic school system similar to Australia’s. With over twenty per cent of all children in the nation attending Catholic schools, Catholic education holds a unique place in the history and mission of the Catholic Church in Australia.
Numbering over 1,700, Catholic schools are a vital part of both the parish faith community and the wider civic community in the cities, suburbs, towns, and rural and remote Indigenous communities throughout Australia.
Our Catholic communities in this part of the world have been very committed to a holistic education based on the values of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and remain so today.
We recognise and revere the fact that parents are the first and most important educators of their children. It is our great privilege to be invited to share their responsibility. It is a sacred commitment and we strive to provide best practices in every aspect of care.
Our young people can grow in confidence as they learn by experience that they can love because they are loved, and that they can learn because they have discovered the joy of learning within a dedicated learning environment.
Parents are the first faith educators of their children
The family forms the first Christian community, it is where young people learn to live faith through action and words. Families are formed in their faith through the parish.
It is the parish community that invites and welcomes new members and continues to nurture their faith throughout their lives. It is within this community that people learn what it is to be a Catholic.
It is the role of parents as primary educators of their children to present them for initiation into the Christian community.
The parish is where initiation into the faith is celebrated and nurtured through the sacraments. Sacraments are events for the whole Catholic community to celebrate together, this is reflected when parishes prepare and celebrate the sacraments as a community. The context for formation in faith and preparation for the sacraments especially for the sacraments of Initiation is the parish community.