IT will be a big year for Catholic education in Queensland.
The state’s 288 Catholic primary and secondary schools were inundated with around 132,000 students and 15,000 staff and teachers as school resumed for 2010.
Queensland Catholic Education Commission executive director Mike Byrne said enrolments were expected to increase by between 2 and 3 per cent and Catholic school enrolments made up about 18 per cent of Queensland’s student numbers.
He said enrolments consist of about 78,000 primary students (including 10,400 Prep students) and 54,000 secondary students.
The biggest percentage of those students returned to Catholic schools across the Brisbane archdiocese.
First time students were eased into school life in Prep, Year 1 and Year 8 classes as some nervous parents received tea and tissues from supportive school staff.
Total student numbers in Brisbane Catholic Education schools for 2010 will be about 62,000, with approaching 10,000 staff members (both teachers and support staff).
BCE executive director David Hutton said strong growth in both student numbers and new infrastructure represented the desire for parents to pursue a Catholic education for their children.
He said with an increase in student numbers, Prep in its fourth year, the expansion of existing schools from the Gold Coast north to Childers and west to Kingaroy a secondary school at Mango Hill and plans for a new primary school at Ormeau to open next year, 2010 was set
to be a busy and exciting year for Catholic education.
“Parents are attracted to the faith-based ethos of our schools and the feeling of being a part of this experience is a major motivator in parental selection,” he said.
In Rockhampton, diocesan director Leesa Jeffcoat extended her best wish to each school community of the 29 primary schools and eight colleges across the diocese.
She said the 2010 school year had started well with enrolment numbers being positive, but definite numbers would not be available until the official census late in February.
Ms Jeffcoat said Masses throughout the diocese for the beginning of the school year were wonderful celebrations.
She said at Mass at St Joseph’s Cathedral Rockhampton, Christian Brother Mick Bible was presented with an award in recognition of his 55 years service to Catholic Education.
In Townsville, School Services assistant director Ross Horner said around 980 Prep students began the year in primary schools with a further 6250 primary students and 4860 secondary school students expected in Townsville Catholic classrooms.
Mr Horner said those projections included numbers for two religious education schools. Ignatius Park College – Christian Brothers and St Patrick’s College – Sisters of Mercy but did not include the Edmund Rice Flexible Learning Centre numbers.
He said an unofficial census was scheduled for day eight of the first term. With the official count to take place on February 26.
Cairns Catholic schools are expecting 2010 enrolments to be just under 10,000 with around 6320 primary students and 3675 secondary students.
In Toowoomba the Catholic Education Office ‘guestimated’ an enrolment of 8500 student across the 34 schools within the diocese.
Director John Borserio said Catholic education in the diocese was something to be proud of.
“The dedication, vision and expertise of the teachers and staff in our Catholic education community is something that we as a system can collectively celebrate and be proud of, as we welcome back students, teachers and staff to Catholic schools within the diocese of Toowoomba,” he said.
Mr Byrne said it would be a busy year for Queensland Catholic schools with around $400million in construction and refurbishment projects to be completed over the next 12 months under the Australian Government’s Building the Education Revolution program.
