QUEENSLAND Education Minister Geoff Wilson launched an Australia-wide resource “Social Inclusion at School – How to help low-income families” at Holy Spirit School, New Farm, as part of Anti-Poverty Week.
Guests at the launch included State Member for Brisbane Central Grace Grace, Queensland Council of Social Services director Jill Lang, Greg Mackay, from the Uniting Care centre for social justice, and Tony Stevens, from Mission Australia.
Anti-Poverty Week was established in Australia as an expansion of the United Nations’ annual International Anti-Poverty Day on October 17.
The booklet aims to help teachers, parent groups, welfare workers and other people involved with schools to ensure school activities and procedures are sensitive to the circumstances of low-income families whatever their background.
It identifies some difficulties which those activities and procedures can cause and it provides an inclusion checklist of ways in which school communities can help to remove or reduce them.
Holy Spirit School principal Nick Gallen said system-wide strategies were imbedded in all Catholic schools to assist those in need, both locally and globally.
“It is part of who we are and who we strive to be,” he said.
“So we welcome Holy Spir-it’s involvement in the launch of this important resource for all schools.”
Mr Gallen said the morning assembly showcased Holy Spirit School as a welcoming, inclusive faith community that embraced hope, quality teaching and learning, tolerance, and understanding of difference.
“Through the ideals of Catherine McAuley (founder of the Sisters of Mercy) of service, dignity and compassion, it empowers learners of all ages to embrace challenge, transform and enrich our world by living the Gospel of Jesus and ‘to know what is right’ (the school motto).
“Its pastoral care program reflects these values.”
Mr Gallen said the school subscribed to the 2008 Financial Accessibility of Catholic Education Schools policy which provided guidance on ensuring that financial situation did not form a bar to enrolment at the school.
Additionally, students are reminded of the need for inclusiveness and equity, as part of their responsibility as members of the Holy Spirit community.
He said it was a great morning in which the assembly finished with the Holy Spirit School choir singing the school song.
