10 Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst Year in Review 2020 Director Of Catholic Education’s Report For many reasons, parents choose Catholic schooling for their children in ever-increasing numbers. These reasons most likely include an education in the Faith, tradition, quality curriculum and opportunities, skilled educators, structure and many others. As 2020 commenced, some of our communities experienced the threat of the most destructive bushfires in the nation’s history. Corryong, Myrtleford, Tallangatta and Wodonga were on high alert as schools prepared to open for Term 1. As is always the case in the face of recovery from such an emergency, ensuring children could go to school was a priority of the authorities and most certainly, of Catholic Education Sandhurst. March saw the Nation, and indeed the world, enter a remarkable period as the impact of COVID-19 hit. In March, schools were closed across Victoria and students undertook their learning remotely. With very little notice, Sandhurst educators developed programs that could be delivered online or via hard copy, while teachers and parents were called upon to work together to ensure no child was ‘left behind’ and that good learning continued. Schools and families are to be commended for the creativity and effort that was devoted to ensuring each student was in no way disadvantaged. What could have been a disaster, proved to be manageable. By State Government edict, the three unincorporated Victorian Catholic education systems – Sandhurst, Ballarat and Melbourne were to develop and implement new governance models by 1 January 2021. For more than sixteen decades, canonical administration of Catholic schools had been in the hands of the Parish Priest. Bishop Mackinlay established a working party, comprised of expert stakeholders from across the country, to explore the most suitable model for the Diocese of Sandhurst. In little more than 12 months, a proposed new model was submitted to the Bishop and then to the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority. A company limited by guarantee was formed to oversee the delivery of education in all diocesan primary and secondary environments – Catholic Education Sandhurst Limited. An era which had witnessed the extraordinary growth in the number and quality of educational environments, had come to an end. Homage must be paid to those Priests and parishioners who did so much to ensure the families of the Diocese of Sandhurst enjoyed an affordable, robust system of learning and pastoral care. The lives enhanced by their deep commitment to the education of our young can never be measured. Today, Sandhurst schools are thriving places of contemporary learning, where the Faith is celebrated and the child is at the heart of every endeavour. Across the Diocese, more than 19,300 boys and girls are enrolled in our forty-two primary schools and fourteen secondary colleges, which include three specialist settings. 9,540 children attend our Primary Schools and 9,761 are in our Secondary Colleges and three Specialist Settings. We continue to cater for the educational needs of all families who seek our support, from the smallest school in St Patrick’s Primary School in Pyramid Hill (16 students), to our largest in Notre Dame College in Shepparton (1,655 students). Throughout 2020, we worked closely with Catholic Services Victoria (formerly CatholicCare) and personnel from the Diocese of Sandhurst to develop a pathway towards a broader introduction of Early Childhood Learning and Care. With the support of the Victorian State Government, Sandhurst will soon see a greater number of kindergartens and early childhood care facilities in our Primary Schools. REPORTS “Homage must be paid to those Priests and parishioners who did so much to ensure the families of our Diocese enjoyed an affordable, robust system of learning and pastoral care.” The history of Catholic schools within the Diocese of Sandhurst spans 167 years. Over the decades, the network of schools has made a unique contribution to the life, faith practice, spirit and culture of Parishes throughout this region. Sandhurst Catholic schools are part of a long tradition of Catholic education in Australia. Countless thousands of young people have benefited from the experiences they had and the skills they acquired in Catholic learning environments. From humble origins on the Bendigo Goldfields in 1853, Catholic education has grown dramatically.
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