Kildare Ministries Newsletter

KEM Executive Officer Report

KEM Principals Meeting

  9 March

The first meeting for the year was held on 9 March. The KEM Business Managers joined the Principals for the morning. The day commenced with  a presentation by Ms Judy Connell, Manager, Learning Diversity (Catholic Education Melbourne) on the implication of the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) for the funding of students with disability.

The second presentation for the day from the Industrial Relations unit of Catholic Education Melbourne focussed on performance management and grievance protocols.

Other business for the day included an update on legislative policies and risk reporting; enrolment policies; and the sharing of innovative practice.

Consultation with Archbishop Zani

The secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education of the Holy See, Archbishop Angelo Zani visited Australia to promote the Holy See’s new foundation – Fondazione Gravissimum Educationis. Professor Monsignor Guy-Real Thivierge, Secretary General of the Foundation also accompanied the Archbishop.

A personal initiative of Pope Francis, the Foundation works to support innovative and impactful projects, invest in quality, promote scientific studies and foster networking between Catholic educational institutions. Current projects include:

  • International Survey on young people and their choices in preparation for the next Synod. Data should be available in June.
  • Democracy and Universalisms: the Educational Challenges. Published recently, ‘Globalising Hope’;
  • New Educational Models e.g. the House of Peace in Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Role of Catholic Higher Education in hunger reduction
  • International Observatory on Catholic Education

The meeting was a valuable opportunity for Australian Catholic school leaders to directly engage in a roundtable conversation with the Archbishop and highlight the challenges and opportunities for Catholic Education in Australia.

Directors of Catholic Education and Executives of Congregations, Religious Institutes and PJPs were invited to submit a one-page overview.

 

 

 

 

Jeff Burn

Executive Officer

Kildare Ministries