The South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools (SACCS) has announced the formation of Catholic School Parents SA as the new representative body of Catholic school parents.

Catholic School Parents SA will connect with parent groups across the 101 Catholic schools in the State.

“Parents and carers have always played a pivotal role in the success of Catholic schools in South Australia,” said chair of SACCS, Professor Denis Ralph.

“This new parent representative and advocacy body will further enhance parent engagement and participation in the education and care of children and young people in Catholic schools in South Australia.”

In 2020, the Commission engaged an independent reviewer to consult with parents in all Catholic schools to seek their feedback as to whether they felt they had an adequate voice in the education of their children and what kind of support they would like to see in the future.

“While acknowledging that the current structures have served parents and our school communities well in the past, the review recognised that parents and carers have busy lives and are looking for new ways to engage in and support the education of their children,” Professor Ralph said.

Catholic School Parents SA will be closely aligned with Catholic School Parents Australia, the national body that represents and advocates for parents and carers of children and young people in Catholic schools across Australia, and will seek to have broad representation of parents of students.

The new group will:

• Engage in a program of listening to the needs of parents across Catholic schools;
• Advocate for improved funding and support for children and young people in Catholic schools and preschools;
• Ensure there is a ‘parent voice’ in policy development;
• Represent parents on a range of committees and working parties;
• Participate in the work of Catholic School Parents Australia.

“We are excited by the opportunity to engage with parents in our schools in new ways in 2021 and beyond,” Professor Ralph said.

Schools will receive further information early in 2021.