QUEENSLAND Catholic Education Commission (QCEC) has reaffirmed its commitment to Catholic schooling in rural and remote areas with the launch of a revised policy statement on that challenge.
Bishop William Morris officially launched the document in Toowoomba on April 30.
Members of remote and rural Catholic school communities, including principals and students, in Cunnamulla, Charleville and Roma participated in the launch event via video-conference.
QCEC executive director Mike Byrne said the policy articulated a clear commitment to Queenslanders living in isolated areas that Catholic school authorities would continue to do whatever was possible to ensure they have access to quality Catholic education.
“Families living in rural and remote areas have a right to choose the type of education they want for their children,” Mr Byrne said.
“Unfortunately, educational services are costly and access to Catholic education is sometimes limited by geographical location.
“Some children often travel long distances or live away from home. Therefore quality Catholic boarding school opportunities also need to be provided where possible to meet the needs of rural students.
“The challenge is to ensure that this policy commitment does not remain mere words but reinvigorates action planning to ensure its principles translate into real educational opportunities for families living in rural and remote parts of the state.”
In officially launching the policy on behalf of Queensland bishops, Bishop Morris said he was pleased that the policy identified the important role that Catholic schooling played in rural and remote parishes and communities more broadly.
“In some rural and remote areas the Catholic school is the Church’s presence,” he said.
“I understand the difficulties of resourcing Catholic schooling and Catholic education outside Catholic schools, but I am also very mindful of the voluntary commitment of the staff of Catholic schools in western parishes of this diocese.
“It is important to acknowledge and applaud such commitment and the policy statement does this.
“In a very real way Catholic school staff members are playing their part in the community of rural and remote parishes by building upon the wonderful tradition of the priests and religious who established Catholic schools in those areas many years ago.
“This policy has particular relevance to the Diocese of Toowoomba which covers a very large portion of rural and remote Queensland in the south-west of this state.”
The launch was held in conjunction with the annual regional meeting of the QCEC incorporating a joint meeting with the Federation of Parents and Friends Associations, which was holding its annual conference in Toowoomba.
Eighty-two (about 28 per cent) of Queensland’s 288 Catholic schools fall into either the rural, remote or very remote category. These schools educate almost 26,000 or about 20 per cent of the 130,000 students attending Queensland Catholic schools.
About 1950 teachers (21 per cent of the total teaching force) work in rural, remote and very remote Catholic schools across Queensland.
