Exciting times for Catholic education
Schools
As students across the State begin the 2022 school year in varied ways, Catholic Education South Australia director, Dr Neil McGoran, offers a reassuring message to families.
It’s fair to say it’s been an interesting start to the school year, especially with the staggered return to classrooms.
In Catholic Education, we have prepared for the return to school in two ways. Firstly, we have put in place a range of COVID safe measures and processes so that students and staff are able to come back safely and well. Secondly, and perhaps more powerfully, whether starting in class or online, we remain committed to ensuring that students continue to thrive in our schools.
The beginning of any school year is special, and this is certainly true for 2022.
For more than 4000 children, it will be their first ever first day of school. We will welcome these children with all our hearts, and I offer my best wishes to the families of tÍhese children.
At the other end of the spectrum, for Year 12 students, it’s the last ever first day and we will continue working with these students and their families to make their final year memorable and successful.
Without doubt, we have much to celebrate this year, and 2022 will be a year of expansion and growth for Catholic Education. Highlights include:
- St Francis of Assisi College – the new secondary college for the Riverland has opened at Renmark, welcoming Year 7 and 8 students. The college will offer a new year level annually until it expands to Year 12 by 2026.
- Compass Catholic Community – the new learning community for 17 to 24 year-olds has opened at Davoren Park. This is a fee-free school for young people who have not yet thrived in mainstream schools, or not yet found their way in early adulthood.
- Regional schools expanding to Reception-Year 9 – Catholic schools at Clare, Peterborough, Murray Bridge and Wallaroo have opened new purpose-built secondary learning facilities to become Reception to Year 9 schools from 2022.
That is just a snapshot of some of the growth happening across our schools. That said, Catholic schooling is about much more than buildings and infrastructure. We are committed to working in partnership with families, raising the hearts and minds of young people.
While there is much to celebrate, we are also acutely aware of the impact of the pandemic on our community. We continue to offer school fee remissions to those families who need it.
In addition to this, following the reduction of school fees at each Catholic parish primary school in 2021, fees have been frozen in 2022. Fees have also been reduced for 2022 in all Diocesan secondary and combined Reception-Year 12 schools.
I would particularly like to thank our staff for their resilience over the past few years. With constantly changing restrictions and requirements, they have worked tirelessly to keep the spiritual development, wellbeing and learning of students at the forefront.
And, finally to our students, staff, and families – and to all who have an interest in Catholic Education, 2022 is another opportunity for us to build on our past successes and achieve new goals.
So, may God’s blessing shine down upon all of us as we pursue educational excellence, enlivened faith formation and meaningful partnerships in our schools, centres and offices.
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