https://www.caspa.edu.au/ caspa.edu.au Blog en 04/10/2018 9:00:00 AM https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/profile--stephen-kennaugh--nsw---john-marinucci--qld---brian-eastaughffe-qld- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/profile--stephen-kennaugh--nsw---john-marinucci--qld---brian-eastaughffe-qld- We thank the following colleagues for sharing their profiles with us: St Andrew's College, MARAYONG - Stephen Kennaugh St Francis College, CRESTMEAD - John Marinucci Clairvaux Mackillop College, UPPER MOUNT GRAVATT - Brian Eastaughffe If you would like to join the growing number of schools who have their profile on the CaSPA website, simply send an email with "CaSPA Profile Template" in the subject line to admin@caspa.edu.au and we will send you a template to complete and retur... Thu, 28 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/when-you-supply-your-year-of-birth-you-greatly-enhance-workforce-planning https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/when-you-supply-your-year-of-birth-you-greatly-enhance-workforce-planning As you may be aware, all CaSPA Principals are periodically invited to supply key data.  This information is held in strictest confidence and individual information is not disclosed to any third party. So far this year 93% of our Principals have assisted in supplying their Year of Birth.  The significance of this was apparent once again last week, when Tanya Plibersek announced plans for a Principals Academy should the ALP win office later in the year. Part of the justification for this is based on data regarding career milestones for Principals from the Government secto... Sat, 23 Feb 2019 10:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/save-the-date---catholic-school-governance-in-the-21st-century https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/save-the-date---catholic-school-governance-in-the-21st-century I am pleased to announce the inaugural Catholic Schools NSW Education Law Symposium to be held in Sydney on Monday 30 September 2019. The theme of the 2019 symposium, the first of what will be an annual event, will be 'Catholic School Governance in the 21st Century'. This professional development forum will be a premium opportunity to explore the governance related challenges - and responses - facing Catholic schools in NSW. The Symposium is an opportunity to gather as a Catholic faith community to explore the complex governance and compliance issues that increasingly featu... Thu, 21 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/catholic-super-supports-nsw-caspa-principals https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/catholic-super-supports-nsw-caspa-principals On Feb 21st, CaSPA President Loretta Wholley and Exec Officer Frank FitzGerald were in Sydney for an NCEC Stakeholder meeting. With the great help of NSW Field Officer Rob Laidler, a dinner was organised for local principals to meet with the CaSPA reps and also catch up with colleagues from both systemic and PJP schools. CaSPA sees its role to assist collegiality among Catholic Secondary Principals as a high priority. Thanks to the support of our National Partners - such as Catholic Super - CaSPA is able to run such events. To underline the importance of the support of our Partners, ... Wed, 20 Feb 2019 09:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/new-chief-executive-at-acara https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/new-chief-executive-at-acara Above: David de Carvalho [left] at a recent meeting at Newman Technical College Port Maquarie hosted by the 2018 Principal Stephen Pares [right]  CaSPA welcome the new CEO of ACARA, David de Carvalho who replaces Robert Randall effective March 4, 2019. Robert served in the role with distinction from 2012 until the present time, and the Board of CaSPA would like to thank him for his courtesy and generous contribution at many of our Board Meetings. At our May 2018 Meeting Robert shared with us the following: "I depart with enormous pride at all the organisation has a... Tue, 19 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/why-having-just-one-woman-on-a-team-is-bad-for-everyone https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/why-having-just-one-woman-on-a-team-is-bad-for-everyone We've all read that companies perform better financially when they have a diverse and inclusive leadership. Despite that, many women find they're still alone in a roomful of men, increasing the odds that they will experience workplace discrimination. According to McKinsey's latest Women in the Workplace report, 20 percent of women surveyed said they were often the only female in the room or one of very few. The figure is far higher in sectors like technology and engineering, and for women of color. We found that women in unbalanced environments are more likely to: ... Mon, 18 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/your-college-could-be-in-the-running-for-prize-money-of-up-to--750-000-in-government-science-competition https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/your-college-could-be-in-the-running-for-prize-money-of-up-to--750-000-in-government-science-competition The Prime Minister's Prizes for Science are Australia's most prestigious awards for outstanding achievements in scientific research, research-based innovation, and excellence in science teaching. The prizes recognise achievements across diverse disciplines and career stages. Recipients share $750 000 in prize money, and have the opportunity to showcase important work undertaken in their field. Nominations for the 2019 prizes: Open 6 February The work of researchers, innovators and teachers often shape Australian society and improve lives. You can show someone you ... Sun, 17 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/principal-reflects-on-win-against-school-in-defamation-case- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/principal-reflects-on-win-against-school-in-defamation-case- CaSPA is aware that in recent times a number of our principals around the country have been subject to extensive negative commentary in their school communities. CaSPA appreciates that there are always "two sides to every story", but on the surface it would seem that some of these attacks are anything but justified and verge on the defamatory.  In the light of such experience in our schools, the following story makes interesting reading: Kambala School - an Independant School in suburban Sydney - settled out of court last month, and was forced to issue an apology to fo... Sat, 16 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-welcomes-jacinta-collins-as-new-head-of-ncec https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-welcomes-jacinta-collins-as-new-head-of-ncec The announcement was made today regarding the appointment of Jacinta Collins as the new Executive Director of the National Catholic Education  Commission. Jacinta had been serving as a Senator for Victoria and announced her resignation to Parliament on the evening of February 14th. While Jacinta commences her role on February 18th, she will spend the first week in a period of reflection and officially assume duties on Feb 25th. As you may be aware, CaSPA meets once a term with the Executive Director and other stakeholders, and we look forward to continuing this practice ... Fri, 15 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/profile--daniel-lynch--sa---chris-gabbett--qld---catherine-rey-act- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/profile--daniel-lynch--sa---chris-gabbett--qld---catherine-rey-act- We thank the following colleagues for sharing their profiles with us: Christian Brothers College, ADELAIDE  - Daniel Lynch Mary MacKillop Catholic School, HIGHFIELDS - Chris Gabbett St John Paul II College, NICHOLLS  - Catherine Rey If you would like to join the growing number of schools who have their profile on the CaSPA website, simply send an email with "CaSPA Profile Template" in the subject line to admin@caspa.edu.au and we will send you a template to complete and r... Thu, 14 Feb 2019 11:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/where-do-principals--salaries-rank-in-australian-society- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/where-do-principals--salaries-rank-in-australian-society- The Faifax media has developed a tool using data from the 2015/16 financial year collected by the Tax Office. This provided ranking of more than 1000 jobs from the highest-earning to the lowest. It is somewhat comforting to see that School Principals' rank is 61 in this extensive list with an Mean Annual Income of $112,075 As a profession the data also revealed the following breakdown for Principals across the country: 96% of principals are full time workers 4% of principals are part time workers Higher on the list include the following profes... Wed, 13 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/when-calling-staff-to-account-is-claimed-to-be-bullying-by-the-principals https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/when-calling-staff-to-account-is-claimed-to-be-bullying-by-the-principals We all know that there are two sides to every story. We also found in our recent Governance survey that many CaSPA Principals identified having to work with underperforming staff is one of the main elements that causes disruption in schools and consumes an inordinate amount of time and energy. In view of these realities, it is interesting to note the perspectives offered in this article: Here she was, drilling youngsters on how best to escape the wrath of bullies, while she herself was being targeted on campus. But here's the catch. Her perpetrator, she insists, was... Tue, 12 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/productivity-commission-shines-light-on-funding-distribution https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/productivity-commission-shines-light-on-funding-distribution The recently released annual report of the Productivity Commission provides some interesting insights into the nature of Funding Australian schools for the latest year of its analysis - 2017. Some of the key takeaways include: The State and Territory Governments did the "heavy lifting" and contributed over $40 billion to school funding in 2017 compared to just $17.2 billion from the Federal Government The great bulk of the State/Territory funds went to: their own sytem schools which were in receipt of $37.1. bil from State Govts in the s... Mon, 11 Feb 2019 11:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/social-background-not-always-a-guide-to-yr-12-attainment https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/social-background-not-always-a-guide-to-yr-12-attainment Recently the Productivity Commission released its report on Government Services 2019 including school education. Among the many areas it reported on was the level of Yr 12 attainment across Australia in 2017.  While normally the social background of the student is a strong determiner of this outcome i.e. the higher the socio economic backround the greated the chance of sucess, both Queensland and the ACT did not follow this trend with those with medium soci-economic status outperforming their more advantaged peers. In dollar terms the Commonwealth provided the following... Sun, 10 Feb 2019 11:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/resources-to-bring-parliament-alive-at-your-school https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/resources-to-bring-parliament-alive-at-your-school Another school and parliamentary year has started and, yet again, it is shaping up to be a busy one! The federal Budget has been brought forward to 2 April and the election is sure to follow shortly after. The PEO website has lots of great resources to help explain the purpose of the Budget, how voting works and how your students can have their say on the future direction of our nation. This edition features teasers about some of the teacher resources we will deliver this year. New video conferencing programs, a civics and citizenship classroom guide and a new website are all coming in 2... Sat, 09 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/exit-data-from-2018-tells-a-sobering-story-for-caspa-principals https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/exit-data-from-2018-tells-a-sobering-story-for-caspa-principals As you may. be aware, CaSPA has been tracking the data over the past years in a number of key areas for the principals of Catholic Seconday Schools. One area of interest is the "fate" of those principals who conclude their current appointment - what becomes of them? While it is true to say that our data has become more accurate over time, there are still important trends that are emerging: just over a third of principals secure a new appointment as principal in another catholic secondary school: 37% the next most common occurence is for a leadership positi... Fri, 08 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/funding-opportunities-for-your-school---7-february-2019 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/funding-opportunities-for-your-school---7-february-2019 1.     The John T Reid Charitable Trust (DGR status required) The Trust distributes funding within six main categories, including Education & Youth Support. Grants provide support to young people who are at-risk of disengaging or have already disengaged from education due to difficult circumstances. Enquiry period closes 12pm Thursday, 14 February 2019. https://www.johntreidtrusts.com.au/ 2.     Coastcare Community Grants (VIC) The Coastcare Victoria Community Grants Program supports community organisations to protect and enhance the coastal a... Thu, 07 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/thousands-sign-on-to-back-dragging-principal-- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/thousands-sign-on-to-back-dragging-principal-- Parents and educators are pleading for understanding for a principal who was stood down following the release of a video that showed him dragging a boy across a concrete playground at a Melbourne school. The video shows Steve Warner, the principal of Manor Lakes P-12 College in Wyndham Vale southwest of Melbourne, hauling a nine-year-old boy by his left arm. The footage appears to have been taken on a mobile phone and was posted to social media on Thursday.  Victorian Education Minister James Merlino said the footage was "appalling and concerning". "Let me very... Wed, 06 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/school---a-lonely-place-for-some-students--- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/school---a-lonely-place-for-some-students--- School students are increasingly lonely and out of place, with Australian teenagers feeling less belonging in class than the global average. The Productivity Commission's government services review into education on Friday revealed 15-year-old students were having a harder time fitting in with their peers and schools in 2015 than in 2003. In education results, teenagers were also scoring worse on reading, maths and science. Experts attributed the social change to the rise of social media and technology, and adolescents' increasing reliance on them for connectivity. YMCA... Tue, 05 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/profile--darren-o-neil-wa---candi-dempster-qld---mel-scherwitzel-qld- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/profile--darren-o-neil-wa---candi-dempster-qld---mel-scherwitzel-qld- We thank the following colleagues for sharing their profiles with us: Trinity College - Darren O'Neill Columba Catholic College, CHARTERS TOWERS - Candi Dempster St Catherine's Catholic College, Proserpine - Mel Scherwitzel If you would like to join the growing number of schools who have their profile on the CaSPA website, simply send an email with "CaSPA Profile Template" in the subject line to admin@caspa.edu.au and we will send you a template to complete and return. ... Mon, 04 Feb 2019 10:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/why-school-uniforms-remain-a-good-idea-for-student-wellbeing https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/why-school-uniforms-remain-a-good-idea-for-student-wellbeing Schools across Australia are increasingly ditching their uniforms for everyday "free dress", but child psychology experts remain firm: the uniform should stay. Parents across the nation this week waved their children goodbye for the first day back at school, with many sporting checked dresses, polo shirts and the ubiquitous flip-style netball skirts. But Fitzroy High School in Melbourne's inner suburbs and Indooroopilly State High School in Brisbane were among a small percentage of schools that allowed a few more colourful fabrics onto school grounds. So long as it wa... Sun, 03 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/big-changes-at-the-top-of-catholic-education-during-2018 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/big-changes-at-the-top-of-catholic-education-during-2018 Above: Stephen Elder was one of a significant number of Senior Staff in Catholic Education to finish in their role during 2018. When CaSPA looked to update its address list for the traditional Christmas greetings late in 2018, there were significant changes from those who received greetings in 2017. This list includes the Directors of Education from the Dioceses around Australia as well as key peak bodies such as NCEC and the NSW Catholic Education Commission. Of the 28 names on the list - 10 had changed in just 12 months.  This is a replacement rate of 36%. When compared wi... Sat, 02 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/mixed-results-from-study-of-digital-technology-and-its-use-in-schools https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/mixed-results-from-study-of-digital-technology-and-its-use-in-schools A national survey by Monash University shows the Australian public is largely supportive of digital technology in schools, but a number of concerns remain. Australian adults are largely positive about the overall benefits of technology in schools, with sizable support for the future rollout of online exams, blended learning classes and even facial recognition systems in classrooms within the next 10 years. However, a number of issues continue to concern parents and the wider public. Nearly 40 per cent of adults believe that 'big tech' companies such as Google and Microsof... Fri, 01 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/extravagant-projections-on-cost-of-catholic-education-to-families https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/extravagant-projections-on-cost-of-catholic-education-to-families Private schools have slammed "glossy marketing campaigns" aimed at parents for inflating what they argue is the true cost of education to sell financial products. As families increasingly consider financial planning to prepare for the rising cost of private schooling and university, independent schools have cautioned some of the costs portrayed are inflated. The Australian Scholarship Group released new research this week that estimated the average median cost of an independent school education was $298,689 for each child, rising to up to half a million dollars for the riches... Thu, 31 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/profile--andy-kuppe-vic---leanne-clarke--nsw---greg-myers-qld- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/profile--andy-kuppe-vic---leanne-clarke--nsw---greg-myers-qld- We thank the following colleagues for sharing their profiles with us: St Mary's Catholic School, Wellington - Leanne Clarke Parade College Bundoora - A Kuppe Good Samaritan Catholic College, Sunshine Coast - Greg Myers If you would like to join the growing number of schools who have their profile on the CaSPA website, simply send an email with "CaSPA Profile Template" in the subject line to admin@caspa.edu.au and we will send you a template to complete and return. ... Sat, 26 Jan 2019 09:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/frank-brennan-reflects-on-religious-freedom-legislation-for-schools https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/frank-brennan-reflects-on-religious-freedom-legislation-for-schools Those fortunate enough to hear Fr Frank Brennan [pictured above chatting to the protestors at the CaSPA conference] speak at our recent Conference in Cairns, will understand the importance of clear and values based approaches to the many issues confonting the contemporary church. Here Fr Frank reflects on the results of the Ruddock Review of Religious Freedoms: When Parliament resumes next month, one outstanding item of business will be Senator Penny Wong's private member's bill dealing with religious schools and their capacity to 'discriminate' against students on... Tue, 22 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-principals-assist-in-study-of-father-daughter-relations https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-principals-assist-in-study-of-father-daughter-relations On a weekday father-daughter night at a central Victorian school, a teen girl arrives with a live yabby. It's in a little takeaway food tub, filled with water. Fathers and daughters have been asked to bring along a "treasure" something that reflects their relationship with each other. The organisers ask her about the significance of the yabby. "This is what I do with my dad," she says. "This is what I love." Many schools run programs like this one, encouraging a bond between father and daughter during the tricky adolescent years. Fathers will often... Mon, 21 Jan 2019 09:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/exodus-of-principals-from-victorian-government-schools https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/exodus-of-principals-from-victorian-government-schools Victorian schools are facing a critical shortage of principals, with one third of state school heads set to reach retirement age in the next five years. Some schools are already struggling to attract candidates for the top job and there are concerns the situation will be exacerbated by the Andrews government's promise to open 100 new state schools over the next eight years. Each of these new schools will need a new principal. Last year, 115 of Victoria's 1531 state school principals left their job, a similar trend to the previous two years. Principal groups say workplac... Sat, 19 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/building-the-resilience-to-make-you-a-better-leader https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/building-the-resilience-to-make-you-a-better-leader You must acknowledge insecurities about capabilities and contextual challenges and deal with them in an action-oriented and skillful way. Imagine that you're about to present to the College Board on the progress of a large-scale transformation. Although you've worked for many long nights to develop a compelling presentation, your stomach starts churning as soon as you enter the boardroom. Once in front of the board, you accidentally tip over a glass of water. Then, a few minutes in, the Business Manager asks you how much money this transformation will save the company. You ha... Mon, 14 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/former-principal-settles-defamation-case-out-of-court https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/former-principal-settles-defamation-case-out-of-court Above: Former Kambala Girls principal Debra Kelliher thanked her supporters CaSPA is aware that some of our colleagues have been subject to "campaigns" from some in the their school communities. The following story provides some comfort that the rule of law can provide clarity and justice in cases such as this. One of the nation's most prestigious girls' schools has "unreservedly" apologised to its former principal after settling a high-profile case defamation case out of court. Kambala girls' school former principal Debra Kelliher was sui... Sat, 12 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/final-principal-appointments-for-2019-now-online https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/final-principal-appointments-for-2019-now-online We have now followed up all the changes for 2019 that have been reported to CaSPA and the full list can be found on our website: https://www.caspa.edu.au/appointments.html   If you do know of any further information, we would be most grateful if you could send it through: admin@caspa.edu.au Fri, 21 Dec 2018 09:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/funding-opportunities-for-your-school---15-december-2018 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/funding-opportunities-for-your-school---15-december-2018 Financial Basics Foundation ESSI Money Program ESSI Money (standing for Earning, Saving, Spending and Investing) is an award-winning online financial literacy game free for Australian secondary school students. Through gameplay based on a 'virtual reality', students achieve an understanding of how decisions made over a period of time can have both positive and negative impacts on their financial situation. The game allows students to practise real-life financial transactions and experience the consequences in a safe, fun and challenging way. See the website for details http://www.fi... Sat, 15 Dec 2018 12:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/marymede-is-set-for-international-robotics-challenge https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/marymede-is-set-for-international-robotics-challenge Above: Students from Marymede Catholic College in Melbourne's north east  prepare with their teacher Kylie Buttigieg, for the International Robotics Challenge. Exciting times lie ahead for Year 7 Marymede students Marc Lando, Leo Karakatsanis and Christian Nicolaou, all of whom have recently been selected to represent Marymede Catholic College as the first ever Australian team to compete at World Educational Robot Competition held in Shanghai, China. The World Educational Robot Competition (known as WER) is an international robot contest for teenagers from 4 to 18. Annua... Tue, 11 Dec 2018 17:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/nsw-takes-lead-in-banning-mobile-phones-in-schools https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/nsw-takes-lead-in-banning-mobile-phones-in-schools Mobile phones will be banned in NSW primary schools, and high schools will get more power to take smart devices off students. Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Thursday announced the measures would come into affect from next year, in a plan to cut class distractions and online bullying. Phones will be banned during school hours in public primary schools, while high schools will be able to choose to opt into a ban. The move an Australian first is in response to a review by child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg, commissioned by the education department in June. It found growing cases of... Mon, 10 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/aid-vs-development---how-caspa-is-helping-in-south-sudan https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/aid-vs-development---how-caspa-is-helping-in-south-sudan We have all heard the truism that if you give a poor person a fish you feed them for a day - teach them to fish and you feed them for life... That is the essential difference between AID and DEVELOPMENT. The former is short term, the latter hopefully can bring about long term and sustainable change. With this in mind CaSPA has committed support to training female students at the Solidarity Teacher Training College in Yambio. We are supporting this project in part because of the Australian connection to a number of the staff at the College.  One of them - Br Bill Firman has ... Sun, 09 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/change-at-the-top-of-aitsl https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/change-at-the-top-of-aitsl Above: Lisa Rodgers met with the CaSPA Board at their 2018 May Meeting Although only having been CEO of AITSL for a short period, Lisa Rodgers brought energy and an engaging candidacy to the role. She was a very accessible leader of AITSL and worked hard to build strong rapport with stakeholders. CaSPA Directors had a number of opportunities to work with Lisa via our Board Meetings and also as members of a number of AITSL committees.  CaSPA wishes Lisa all the best as she takes up her new role as outlined in the following letter we received on Friday: Dear colleagues, ... Sat, 08 Dec 2018 09:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/award-winning-caspa-school-goes-from-strength-to-strength https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/award-winning-caspa-school-goes-from-strength-to-strength Above: Marco Di Cesare with students from Caroline Chisolm College In June, the College's principal, Marco Di Cesare, was nominated for The Educator's School Principal of the Year - Non-government award for the personal impact he has made as a coach, mentor, guide, role model and school leader.     Two months later, the College won an Employer of Choice Award in the 2018 Australian Business Awards, which recognise organisations which have developed leading workplaces that maximise the full potential of their workforce. Over the last five years, th... Fri, 07 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/stephen-kennaugh-nominated-as-new-caspa-director-for-nsw https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/stephen-kennaugh-nominated-as-new-caspa-director-for-nsw Above: Besides moving to principalship of a new school in 2019, Stephen Kennaugh will be the incoming Director for NSW The ACSP has informed CaSPA that there will be a new Director for NSW. Stephen Kennaugh has been nominated from ACSP to be a Director of CaSPA. Stephen is the current Principal of LS Ashfield but will be moving out of the Diocese of Sydney from the start of 2019 as he takes up leadership of St Andrew's College, MARAYONG in the Parramatta Diocese. Stephen has been an active supporter of CaSPA and provided invaluable assistance to the Board in recent years... Thu, 06 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/former-caspa-principal-elected-to-the-victorian-parliament https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/former-caspa-principal-elected-to-the-victorian-parliament Above: John Ormond Kennedy - the new Hawthorn MLA and President Emeritus of the PAVCSS Of all the surprises to emerge from the recent Victorian State Election, the success of the ALP candidate for Hawthorn ranks at the very top. This had been a blue ribbon Liberal seat that had only once been lost to that party since elections have been held. The success of John Ormond Kennedy has confounded those on the other side of politics, the media and commentators - and even those within his own party. Previous to this tryst with politics, John had been a long time Principal in Victor... Wed, 05 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/andrew-watson---farewell-and-thanks-for-a-job-well-done https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/andrew-watson---farewell-and-thanks-for-a-job-well-done Above: President, Andrew Watson, at the opening of the 2018 CaSPA Conference in Cairns At the end of 2018, Andrew Watson will complete his term as Principal of Thomas Carr College in Melbourne's outer West and take up the role as Principal Consultant for the Ballarat Catholic Education Office.  This will close a significant chapter in Andrew's professional life where he has served with distinction in Senior Leadership Roles in a number of schools including: 2005-2010 Principal of Mercy Regional College, Camperdown, Victoria 2011-2018 Principal of T... Tue, 04 Dec 2018 11:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/principals--key-role-in-leading-stem https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/principals--key-role-in-leading-stem Above: Andrew Pierpont [far left] leades discussion at the PASL Forum The two peak Government School Principal Associations have worked together to attract funding for a project they are calling: Principals as STEM Leaders Building the Evidence Base for Improved STEM Learning The project has gathered a consortium that is being led by the University of Tasmania. At an important Reference Group Meeting at the ACU in Melbourne, plans and scope for the project were discussed with a broad group of stakeholders from many within Education.  Unfortunately as yet the... Mon, 03 Dec 2018 11:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/important-vocational-education-reports https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/important-vocational-education-reports Financial information 2017 This statistical report includes information on VET loan payments, trends for operating revenues and expenditures, operating expenditure by VET activity, and assets and liabilities. State and territory breakdowns are also included. NCVER 201718 annual report NCVER's annual report documents important company information, activities and achievements across financial years. The appendices also available contain published work, commissioned work in progress, consultancy projects, and presentations and submissions. ... Sun, 02 Dec 2018 11:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/funding-opportunities-for-your-school---december-1-2018 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/funding-opportunities-for-your-school---december-1-2018 1.     Ask Gran Not Google Ask Gran Not Google, developed by Feros Care, is an inter-generational project that encourages children to seek the wisdom and life experience of a senior before searching the internet for answers. By doing so, children gain insight into the valuable role seniors can play in their lives and society. In the lead-up to Seniors' Week commencing on February 13, primary and secondary students will be challenged to switch off their devices and seek answers to life's questions from a more experienced, senior source. Participating schools will... Sat, 01 Dec 2018 12:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/voced-qualifications-do-little-to-value-add-to-graduates--income https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/voced-qualifications-do-little-to-value-add-to-graduates--income Students graduating with a vocational qualification earn only marginally more on average than their peers who completed Year 12, and the small differential sticks with them throughout their working lives. For women in some jobs, a vocational education qualification left them worse off than if they had got a job straight out of high school. According to the Financial Review, the data, which comes from a long-term Household Income and Labour Dynamics Australia survey, has left researchers puzzled given the shortage of skilled labour in Australia. In 2016, males with a vocational q... Fri, 30 Nov 2018 09:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/secondary-principals-from-all-sectors-combine-to-shape-the-education-agenda https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/secondary-principals-from-all-sectors-combine-to-shape-the-education-agenda Above: Andrew Watson President CaSPA; Mark Merry President AHISA; Andrew Pierpoint President ASPA; Berth Blackwood Exec Officer AHISA A recent meeting of the Presidents of all the Secondary Principal Associations has seen agreement by the leaders in all three sectors to work closely to lead discussion on Education in the media, at the government level and in the public forum.  There was agreement that the recent interchanges on Funding has given the impression that sectors are working in different directions in terms of education. The Presidents of all Peak Associations feel tha... Thu, 29 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/final-call--funding-available-for-women-s-leadership-development---deadline-extended https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/final-call--funding-available-for-women-s-leadership-development---deadline-extended This is the last and final call for all women currently working in the schools sector to express their interest in the final end-of-year scholarship funding that is available. The fee support opportunity provides women with funding of between $1,000 and $1,500 to undertake a range of leadership development programs commencing in early 2019. NESLI, Women & Leadership Australia, industry stakeholders and partners want to take this opportunity to thank all of those for their previous support. To ensure equitable access to the remaining scholarship funds, the window for registering... Wed, 28 Nov 2018 09:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/announcement-re-cardijn-college-marcellin-technical-amalgamation https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/announcement-re-cardijn-college-marcellin-technical-amalgamation Marcellin Technical College is now a campus of Cardijn College Cardijn College is pleased to announce that Marcellin Technical College has merged with Cardijn College and will be known as Marcellin Technical, a campus of Cardijn College. Marcellin Technical will continue to specialise in trade, vocational and technical education. Since 2016, Cardijn College and Marcellin Technical College have worked in partnership to provide the best Catholic education to students of the southern suburbs, whatever career pathway they choose. Over the past 18 months, many of the core support f... Tue, 27 Nov 2018 09:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-covers-a-broad-range-of-school-types https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-covers-a-broad-range-of-school-types While our name suggests that we cater for Secondary Students, CaSPA schools in fact embrace a far broader range of educational offerings. The 2018 Government Census of schools reveals the following about our range of schools: Just on 66% provide "mainstream" education with secondary classes only Another 25% have classes for both secondary and primary The final 10% of schools offer specialised schooling for students with a broad range of special needs 13 schools cater for students with a disability 21 schools provide education for ... Mon, 26 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/scholarship-funding-opportunities-for-your-school---nov-25--2018 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/scholarship-funding-opportunities-for-your-school---nov-25--2018 1.     Honda Foundation Grants The Honda Foundation aims to inspire goodwill by donating much needed funds to worthy causes nationwide. It acts as a charitable trust, providing financial assistance to charities and organisations working across a range of social and environmental issues. Applications close 8 February 2019. https://www.thehondafoundation.com.au/ 2.     Grassroots Football, Cricket, and Netball Facility Program (SA) The Grassroots Football, Cricket, and Netball Facility Program is aimed at increasing participation and improving gende... Sun, 25 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/our-2018-equity-scholarship-winner-reports-on-his-experience-at-harvard https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/our-2018-equity-scholarship-winner-reports-on-his-experience-at-harvard "Learn to Change the World" Professional Renewal Report from Harvard University After many years as a secondary school principal in two school settings, Sydney Catholic Schools offered me the opportunity to take Professional Renewal Leave. During the planning phase a colleague suggested I look at the programs offered by Harvard University. Upon investigation, I found a range of excellent professional development programs through the Principal's Centre at Harvard. After my initial contact, I was offered a vast range of courses and I narrowed down my selection base... Sat, 24 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/br-bill-firman-reflects-on-latest-developments-in-troubled-south-sudan https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/br-bill-firman-reflects-on-latest-developments-in-troubled-south-sudan Above: Br Bill Firman [former principal St Bede's Mentone, DLS Malvern and other CaSPA schools] with students in South Sudan As you may be aware, the CaSPA Board has elected to support the Catholic Teachers' College in Yambio, South Sudan as part of its global social justice focus. At its recent Board Meeting, the Directors elected to allocate over $11,000 to support the tuition costs for female teacher trainess at this College. The rationale for this is makes a compellng case for the Board decision on which global project to support: South Sudan is one of the top 5 o... Fri, 23 Nov 2018 10:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/tony-o-byrne-recognised-for-over-50-years-service-to-catholic-education https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/tony-o-byrne-recognised-for-over-50-years-service-to-catholic-education Above: Sr Therese Power [fmr Director Ballarat CEO]; Stephen Elder [Director CECV]; Tony O'Byrne; Peter Casey [fmr CaSPA Principal - Traralgon,Wodonga and St Pats Ballarat]; Frank FitzGerald [fmr CaSPA Principal - Melton and St Bernards Essendon; current Exec Officer] At a recent ceremony at the CEO Regional Office in Werribee, Mr Tony O'Byrne was recognised for his very significant contribution to Catholic Education - both locally in Victoria and also in National forums. This service has been over 51 years - and Tony is still working in his role as Principal advisor in the W... Thu, 22 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-presentation-to-senate-enquiry-into-exemption-for-faith-based-schools https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-presentation-to-senate-enquiry-into-exemption-for-faith-based-schools Below is the submission made on behalf of CaSPA: Catholic Schools have been an integral part of Australian society since its earliest years o We celebrate 200 years of Catholic Schools in Australia in just over a years time While very grateful for government assistance in the building and running of schools in the recent 50 years - our heritage goes back to times when communities worked extremely hard to fund and build their local Catholic Schools in order to promote the values and beliefs of Catholic Communities around the country There are now over 500 Catholic Schools with... Wed, 21 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/trace-the-history-of-vet-in-australia https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/trace-the-history-of-vet-in-australia Welcome to part 3 of our series on the VET Knowledge Bank, our key source of reference information about Australia's VET system. #4: Landmark documents What documents and events have influenced the development of Australia's VET system over the years? From the Commonwealth-State Apprenticeship Inquiry (the Wright report) in 1954 to the Skills Australia discussion paper Creating a future direction for Australian vocational education and training in 2010, the timeline of Landmark documents chronicles their history. #5: History of VET If you're interested in a more com... Tue, 20 Nov 2018 10:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/improving-your-chances-of-achieving-success-with-the-grants-you-apply-for https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/improving-your-chances-of-achieving-success-with-the-grants-you-apply-for What are the policies and processes that govern grant choices? What does best practice mean for Australian philanthropists? How well do they really understand the needs of the organisations they fund? These questions were at the core of research carried out by the Asia Pacific Social Impact Centre at Melbourne Business School, as part of these TWO report: Philanthropy: Towards a better practice model.  Perpetual Impact, 19/06/18 ... Mon, 19 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/national-centre-for-vocational-education-research---nov-2018 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/national-centre-for-vocational-education-research---nov-2018 Publications Apprentices and trainees 2018: March quarter - Australia Apprentices and trainees 2018 March quarter provides a national picture of apprentice and trainee activity, including both quarterly and annual figures that can be broken down by state and territory. Government-funded students and courses - January to June 2018 This report provides a snapshot of government-funded VET delivered by TAFE institutes, other government providers (such as universities), community education providers and other registered providers between January to June 2018.... Sun, 18 Nov 2018 11:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/40-years-serving-the-west-of-melbourne https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/40-years-serving-the-west-of-melbourne Above: Students from CRC St Albans in front of their College that grew from humble beginnings Catholic Regional College is celebrating 40 years of shaping young minds. The school was established in 1978 in response to a demand from Catholic families to have Catholic secondary education in the area prior to this students had to travel to Sunshine or Braybrook. Catholic Regional College staff member Angela Robinson said the school has evolved significantly over the years. "The school's expanded year by year and evolved to reflect the changing demographic of the local communi... Sat, 17 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/profile--anna-masters-vic---fr-maroun-youseff--nsw---tanya-appleby-qld- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/profile--anna-masters-vic---fr-maroun-youseff--nsw---tanya-appleby-qld- We thank the following colleagues for sharing their profiles with us: Sacre Coeur College, Glen Iris - Anna Masters St Charbel's College, Punchbowl - Fr Maroun Youssef St Ursula's College, Toowoomba - Tanya Appleby If you would like to join the growing number of schools who have their profile on the CaSPA website, simply send an email with "CaSPA Profile Template" in the subject line to admin@caspa.edu.au and we will send you a template to complete and return. ... Fri, 16 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/funding-opportunities-for-your-school---november-15-2018 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/funding-opportunities-for-your-school---november-15-2018 1.     The John Bell Scholarship The John Bell Scholarship is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students living in regional or remote areas, who are interested in a career as a performer. Three talented high school students will get the opportunity to travel to Bell Shakespeare's headquarters in January 2019 to take part in the intensive week-long program. After being flown to Sydney, the recipients will undertake acting master classes and backstage tours, observe rehearsals and watch live performances of the company's first production for 2019. To apply, go ... Thu, 15 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/alp-plans-support-for-asian-languages-in-schools https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/alp-plans-support-for-asian-languages-in-schools Falling rates of school students choosing to study Asian languages is leaving Australian graduates at a strategic disadvantage for jobs and opportunities, Labor has warned. Pledging to spend an extra $32 million to strengthen Asian languages and literacy education across school education if it wins the next election, the Opposition will on Thursday announce plans to boost the supply of qualified teachers, improve curriculum materials from pre-school to year 12 and collect better data. Deputy leader and Opposition education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek said Labor planned to make Asian la... Wed, 14 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-joins-other-stakeholders-in-key-meeting-with-minister-tehan https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-joins-other-stakeholders-in-key-meeting-with-minister-tehan Today the incoming President of CaSPA Loretta Wholley and current president, Andrew Watson, met with the Education Minister the Hon Dan Tehan in Sydney along with representatives form NCEC, CSPA and ACPPA. Our discussions with the Minister were extremely positive with much common ground being found in relation to school funding specifically discussing part three of the funding arrangement being the Choice and Affordability funding and the process for developing appropriate guidelines for its distribution. The issue of the quality of education was discussed at length again looking at pre-... Tue, 13 Nov 2018 21:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/new-literacy-and-numeracy-tests-to-be-added-to-the-vce https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/new-literacy-and-numeracy-tests-to-be-added-to-the-vce Every Victorian high school student is to be tested against new literacy and numeracy standards under the biggest VCE overhaul in decades. The changes, to be unveiled by the Andrews government today as tens of thousands of students prepare to sit their VCE exams, follow concerns that too many students are graduating with dismal reading, writing and maths skills. But there are fears the move could lead to increased pressure and higher dropout rates among students who don't like exams. From 2021, students taking the certificate and its vocational alternative, VCAL, are to receive... Mon, 12 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/joint-winners-of-the-2019-caspa-equity-scholarship---sponsored-by-the-school-photographer https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/joint-winners-of-the-2019-caspa-equity-scholarship---sponsored-by-the-school-photographer Above: Richard Chapman & Trazel Scott are joint winners of the 2019 CaSPA Equity Scholarship As you are aware, CaSPA has instituted a Scholarship to support principals who work in areas that may have difficulty providing adequately for the Professional Development of the senior school leaders. The Scholarships are valued at $5000 per recipient and can be used to cover items such as Course Fees Travel Accommodation At the CaSPA Board Meeting on November 8, the Directors were delighted to announce that there would be 2 award winners for 2019: Richa... Sat, 10 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/darren-atkinson---new-director-nominated-from-victoria-to-caspa-board https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/darren-atkinson---new-director-nominated-from-victoria-to-caspa-board At the CaSPA National Board meeting on November 8, 2018, the nomination of Darren Atkinson [above]  to become a member of the National Board was accepted. Darren is currently the principal of Aquinas College, Ringwood - a large co-educational College in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Prior to this appointment in 2014, Darren was principal of St Joseph's College in Mildura from 2009-2013. Currently a member of the PAVCSS Executive, Darren will also be taking on the role of Treasurer of that Association. Darren has been a great supporter of CaSPA activities up... Fri, 09 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/dept-of-education-creates-new-website-to-assist-school-leavers https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/dept-of-education-creates-new-website-to-assist-school-leavers As you may be aware, the Department of Education and Training in partnership with the Tertiary Admissions Centres across Australia, have developed a new national higher education admissions information platform. This was a key recommendation of the Higher Education Standards Panel in its October 2016 report 'Improving the Transparency of Higher Education Admissions'. The new website 'Course Seeker' contains a national course comparison tool which allows students to search, select and compare up to four higher education courses nationally across different institut... Thu, 08 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/promote-your-school-using-virtual-reality---and-if-you-are-quick-it-will-not-cost-you-anything- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/promote-your-school-using-virtual-reality---and-if-you-are-quick-it-will-not-cost-you-anything- The School Photographer is delighted to have been successful in our recent tender to become a National Partner with CaSPA.  As a business, we currently produce packages for some 450,000 students throughout Australia whilst working with more than 1200 schools, since our 1986 beginning. The School Photographer has always prided ourselves on a high quality product produced at competitive prices.  We have always backed this up with a very high standard of both school and parent service.  Consistency is the key to our success in becoming a market leader in our industry. Innov... Wed, 07 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-does-some-heavy-lifting-in-its-support-for-remote-australia https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-does-some-heavy-lifting-in-its-support-for-remote-australia There have been two high profile themes in recent political debate: Transparent and genuine needs based funding for all school sectors Over crowding in our major populations centers and the related theme of providing adequate services for Regional and Remote areas The following data is very interesting in terms of these two issues. As you are possibly aware, the ABS and others utilise a Remoteness Areas Index to divide Australia into 5 classes of remoteness on the basis of a measure of relative access to services. Remoteness Areas are intended for the purpose of releasin... Tue, 06 Nov 2018 09:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/sa-appoints-new-executive-officer https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/sa-appoints-new-executive-officer Above: Michael Dahl, the new EO for APCSS. Following the retirement of Lou Flint earlier in the year, the APCSS has appointed a new Executive Officer to support the work of the Association from the beginning of 2019. The new EO is Michael Dahl, the current Director of the Nazareth Catholic Community - a leadership position he commenced in 2006. Michael will retire from this position to take up his new role early next year. Michael has had a long career in South Australian Catholic Education. Amongst other appointments over the years, he was principal of the following CaSPA Co... Mon, 05 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-schools-come-in-a-great-variety-of-sizes https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-schools-come-in-a-great-variety-of-sizes The recent August 2018 Census of School Enrolments conducted by the Australia Government, confirms the fact that Catholic Secondary Schools do not fit into the category of "one size fits all". On the contrary, our 500 schools across the country are as divergent in terms of student numbers as they are in their geographical location. Having said that, as the accompanying chart reveals, the schools broadly come in four categories with a quarter of CaSPA schools fitting into each category: Schools with less than 406 students. Clearly these schools are main... Sun, 04 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/nz-bishop-questions-why-the-hierarchy-are-so-reluctant-to-embrace-changes-to-clericalism-and-governance https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/nz-bishop-questions-why-the-hierarchy-are-so-reluctant-to-embrace-changes-to-clericalism-and-governance Those who were part of Korero 2017 will recall that we were joined for the entirety of the gathering by Bishop Charles [above at Korero 2017], who is the Pastoral Leader of the Diocese of Palmerston North in New Zealand.  He offered the following insightful reflection recently on the Diocesan website. His words resonate with many in the CaSPA community as we seek new understandings in areas such as the Governance of Catholic Education in Australia Once every five years the priests in New Zealand meet nationally for a professional development week. This time it was in Christchurc... Sat, 03 Nov 2018 10:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/new-support-for-mental-health-in-schools-from-federal-government https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/new-support-for-mental-health-in-schools-from-federal-government Today, Beyond Blue is officially launching the National Education Initiative Be You, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health. We are excited that the next important step in supporting the mental health and social and emotional wellbeing of children and young people is about to begin. With the support of our delivery partners Early Childhood Australia and headspace, Be You will empower every Australian educator from early learning to primary and secondary school as well as our next generation of teachers to foster the mental health of those in their care and to look afte... Fri, 02 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/tanya-plibersek-meets-with-catholic-education-stakeholder-group https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/tanya-plibersek-meets-with-catholic-education-stakeholder-group The Executive of NCEC meet with members of Catholic School Parents [CSPA]; Catholic Primary Principals [ACPPPA] and CaSPA once a term. At the most recent meeting in Sydney on Nov 1, 2018, the group had an opportunity to hear first hand from the Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Minister for Education, Tanya Plibersek. Key topics discussed during the meeting with Tanya included: Labor's committment to needs based funding should the win Government next year Providing clear and just guidelines around employment and enrolment in Catholic Schools Labor&#... Thu, 01 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-executive-meet-with-nsw-principals https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-executive-meet-with-nsw-principals Above [l to r]: Rob Laidler [CaSPA NSW Field Officer; Phil Scollard [Holy Spirit Catholic College LAKEMBA]; Andrew Watson [Pres CaSPA]; Tom Galea [Rosebank College, Five Dock]; Frank FitzGerald [Exec officer CaSPA]; Chris Browne [St Paul's Catholic College MANLY] As the CaSPA Executive were due to meet with the Catholic Education Stakeholders group on Nov 1, President Andrew Watson and Executive Officer, Frank FitzGerald took the opportunity to meet with a small group of Principals from both Systemic and Independent Catholic Schools. The meeting which took place on the evening of... Wed, 31 Oct 2018 21:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/the-school-funding-debate---an-issue-that-has-been-close-to-the-headlines-for-over-50-years https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/the-school-funding-debate---an-issue-that-has-been-close-to-the-headlines-for-over-50-years The wars have now outlasted roughly 15 prime ministers. They predate Australia's first TV broadcast, the switch to decimal currency and the polio vaccine and according to one expert, they are unlikely to end soon. Dr Glenn Savage is a senior lecturer at the University of Western Australia and has written extensively on school funding. "Because school funding is so politicised and because we have this strange mix of federal and state funding going to the different schooling sectors, no one is ever going to be happy, it seems, about any kind of announcement that's made,&... Tue, 30 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/the-state-of-naplan---where-you-live-has-a-bearing-on-how-students-perform https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/the-state-of-naplan---where-you-live-has-a-bearing-on-how-students-perform Could the success of a school student depend not on whether they go to a public or private school, but simply on where they live? That's the suggestion of think tank the Grattan Institute after it took a (very thorough) look at NAPLAN data. "We've looked at how much students are learning from one test to the next and tried to understand where students are making the most progress," report author and education commentator Peter Goss said. The TL;DR version of the Grattan Institute report card: Queensland got top marks in primary school New South Wales... Mon, 29 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/what-do-you-want-from-your-children-s-education--results-from-one-school-s-parent-survey https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/what-do-you-want-from-your-children-s-education--results-from-one-school-s-parent-survey A recent survey of 1,000 Victorian parents and teachers conducted by independent school Kilvington Grammar in Melbourne, assessed the outcomes, skills and character traits considered most important for children to gain from school, as well as concerns for today's children during their schooling years. The findings included: The outcome ranked as least important was a high ATAR score, while the most important outcomes included communication skills, having a positive attitude and a strong work-ethic followed by courage, self-esteem and problem solving. The character trai... Sun, 28 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/search-for-an-alternative-to-the-atar https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/search-for-an-alternative-to-the-atar THE Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, which students receive at the end of year 12, is increasingly being questioned for the simple reason that it is associated with a narrow measure of a student's ability and intelligence. Most schools champion that they exist to educate and develop a person holistically: academically, emotionally, socially and physically. Yet after 13 years of schooling, student achievement is defined by a single number, a ranking, which is determined as a result of how they have performed in a number of assessment pieces: SACs, SATs and exams. The technology r... Sat, 27 Oct 2018 10:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/funding-opportunities-for-your-school---oct-26-2018 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/funding-opportunities-for-your-school---oct-26-2018 1.     Japanese Foundation Grants The Japan Foundation offers two types of grants to support teachers of the Japanese-language. Major Grants (Training Programs) have one application round per year and are administered in collaboration with the Japan Foundation Head Office. These are designed to support the professional development of teachers through in-country Japanese language training at the Japan Foundation's Japanese-Language Institute in Urawa. Mini Grants are administered locally, and are designed to support the purchase of Japanese teaching materials; the ru... Fri, 26 Oct 2018 12:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-wishes-all-the-staff-in-all-our-schools-a-happy-teacher-s-day---october-26-2018 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/caspa-wishes-all-the-staff-in-all-our-schools-a-happy-teacher-s-day---october-26-2018 The Board and Directors of CaSPA join with our school communities in acknowledging the dedicated work of our Teachers on International Teacher's Day - Friday October 26, 2018   Note - Why is this day celebrated on October 26th? Held annually since 1994, World Teachers' Day, which is celebrated internationally on 5 October, and in Australia on 26 October 2018, commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. As we celebrate World Teachers' Day this year, we take this ... Thu, 25 Oct 2018 21:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/nsw-to-have-compulsory-maths-in-year-12- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/nsw-to-have-compulsory-maths-in-year-12- NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Education Minister Rob Stokes have launched a new HSC maths course for "everyday life" which will be trialled in schools next year to boost the number of students studying maths through to the final years of school. According to The Age article, the Premier is leading the push to have every NSW student studying maths in year 12. "We have done well to encourage students to study maths, with about 82 per cent currently taking up maths-based subjects in their HSC," Ms Berejiklian said. "we hope to see this number get closer to 10... Wed, 24 Oct 2018 10:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/government-seeks-to-limit-red-tape-in-schools----- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/government-seeks-to-limit-red-tape-in-schools----- In October 2016, the Australian Senate resolved to establish a Select Committee on Red Tape to inquire into effect of restrictions and prohibitions on business on the economy and community. As part of its inquiry, the committee are also examining the effect of red tape on private education, in particular: the effects on compliance costs (in hours and money), economic output, employment and government revenue; any specific areas of red tape that are particularly burdensome, complex, redundant or duplicated across jurisdictions; the impact on health, safety and economic op... Tue, 23 Oct 2018 10:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/feedback-invited-on-the-actions-you-took-during-stay-smart-online-week https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/feedback-invited-on-the-actions-you-took-during-stay-smart-online-week Stay Smart Online Week 2018 survey We are seeking your assistance to share this survey link with your internal and external audiences https://defencesurveys.com.au/anon/2795.aspx to help us gauge what cyber security actions people took as a result of this year's Stay Smart Online Week. The survey is anonymous and should only take around 3 minutes to complete. It will remain open until Wednesday 31 October 2018. Please get in touch if you have any questions at all. We look forward to sharing more highlights of Stay Smart Online Week with you following our evaluation. ... Mon, 22 Oct 2018 10:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/naplan-breakthrough-eases-pain-over-schools https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/naplan-breakthrough-eases-pain-over-schools A breakthrough on NAPLAN has been signalled by the new federal Education Minister after a lengthy conflict between the states and Canberra over how to use the national school test threatened to destabilise the Coalition and prevent an agreement on funding for basics such as teachers' salaries. In an exclusive interview with The Australian Financial Review, Education Minister Dan Tehan said there had been some "incredibly important discussions" at the September meeting of the Education Council in Adelaide in relation to National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy.... Sun, 21 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/young-teacher-reflects-on-failings-of-university-teacher-training https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/young-teacher-reflects-on-failings-of-university-teacher-training Scandalous data published by the ABC has revealed the shockingly low threshold for entry into tertiary teaching programs. These low standards, it is insinuated, are directly linked to the declining outcomes of Australian students in international tests. On one hand, there are some legitimate concerns here: if our teachers cannot grasp basic concepts, how are they supposed to teach these ideas to impressionable young minds? But this problem isn't with who gets accepted to university; it's with what happens to them while they are there. After all, if more than ten per cent of pot... Sat, 20 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/head-of-australian-bishops-says-sexuality-is-no-issue-for-catholics https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/head-of-australian-bishops-says-sexuality-is-no-issue-for-catholics The Catholic school sector says it welcomes staff and students from all backgrounds and has not sought concessions to discriminate against students or teachers based on their sexuality, gender identity or relationship status. The president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Mark Coleridge [above], said all people should be considered equally for employment or enrolment. "Once employed or enrolled, people within a Catholic school community are expected to adhere to the school's mission and values." The religious freedom review recommends that a n... Fri, 19 Oct 2018 12:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/teachers-can-play-a-huge-role-in-assisting-young-people-with-mental-health-issues https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/teachers-can-play-a-huge-role-in-assisting-young-people-with-mental-health-issues Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard who is the chair of Beyond Blue, a support service for people with depression and anxiety, wrote an opinion piece in The Australian this week highlighting the critical role of teachers in supporting the mental health of students. Below is an extract: Today's young people have a higher level of understanding of good mental health and wellbeing than any other generation, but that does not mean everything's fine. The up-and-coming generation is experiencing different pressures than earlier generations, including the impacts, both good and bad, o... Thu, 18 Oct 2018 12:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/annually-australia-has--80-billion-in-grants-on-offer--who-wins-these-grants-and-why--- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/annually-australia-has--80-billion-in-grants-on-offer--who-wins-these-grants-and-why--- Ask anyone involved in Australia's massive grants industry what they'd most like to know, and grantseekers and grantmakers alike will ask: "Who is winning all the grants, and why?" It's the question at the heart of the latest Grants in Australia 2018 research report the biggest report since the inception of the series in 2006. Data scientists Paola Oliva-Altamirano and Joost van der Linden, from Our Community's Innovation Lab, spearheaded this year's analysis of a record 2012 responses to examine what makes some grantseekers more successful than others. ... Wed, 17 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/join-the-government-campaign-to-reverse-cybercrime https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/join-the-government-campaign-to-reverse-cybercrime Reverse the threat is now live! It's not too late to join in. =It's officially Stay Smart Online Week and things look a little different. Some of Australia's biggest organisations have joined us in reversing their websites and social media to black and white to draw attention to cyber security so we can reverse the threat of cybercrime, together. Watch this short video to find out more about our mission. Don't miss out on being part of this important movement. Everyone can take part. It's easy. Get Social Show your commitment to reversing the threat... Tue, 16 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/leadership-development-scholarships-now-available--women-in-schools https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/leadership-development-scholarships-now-available--women-in-schools Funding grants of up to $1,500 are currently available to women who work in schools to support their participation in a leadership development program. The grants have been provisioned for 2018 as part of the Year of Women in School Leadership, and as such have to be allocated by the end of the year. The funding is suitable to both teaching and non-teaching women school staff. Expressions of Interest Find out more and register your interest by completing the Expression of Interest form here prior to 30th November: www.nesli.org/funding   The initiative The Year ... Mon, 15 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/too-expensive-to-have-your-underperforming-computer-network-assessed-for-improvement--caspa-may-have-a-solution-- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/too-expensive-to-have-your-underperforming-computer-network-assessed-for-improvement--caspa-may-have-a-solution-- TOSHIBA ENTERS TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH CATHOLIC SECONDARY PRINCIPALS AUSTRALIA (CaSPA). Toshiba Australia Pty Limited has entered into a long-term collaborative agreement with the Catholic Secondary Principals Australia (CaSPA). A major sponsorship, providing members with access to Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) systems, products and services. As a renowned global innovator, Toshiba are delighted to provide technology driven outcomes to over 487 Catholic Secondary Schools across Australia and the 505 Catholic Secondary Principals who are represente... Sun, 14 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/great-free-resource-for-exploring-catholic-identity https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/great-free-resource-for-exploring-catholic-identity In the (recent) past, a number of you participated in an Intensive Course on Enhancing Catholic School Identity. We hope it was an enriching experience for you! The ECSI Team at KU Leuven is happy to inform you that we have created a free online course on this topic. It was launched on October 1st on the renowned edX platform. Click here to watch the trailer and find out more about the contents of the course. The MOOC, or Massive Online Open Course, provides an in-depth theological framework and clear pedagogical strategy for building a Catholic Dialogue School in the 21st century. Thro... Sat, 13 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/quality-young-teachers---how-do-we-attract--train-and-then-retain-them-for-the-profession- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/quality-young-teachers---how-do-we-attract--train-and-then-retain-them-for-the-profession- Commentary of quality in Teacher Training has reached some prominence in recent times. On the one hand Rob Stokes, Minister for Education in NSW has sought to lift the bar on the quality of Teacher Training in Universities. He has joined those who criticise those involved with Initial Teacher Education [ITE] of "packing lecture theatres with under-achievers studying to be teachers". The belief is that the Universities only allocate a modest proportion of the funding these students attract to their training and use a significant amount of the funds for other faculties and re... Fri, 12 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/principals--australia-institute-ceases-operations https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/principals--australia-institute-ceases-operations In its original format, what is now the Principal's Australia Institue [PAI], was a vehicle established with Federal Government support to promote professional development of leaders in all sectors of Australian Education. As such it was co-owned and managed by the peak principal groups including ASPA, APPA, AIHSA and CaSPA. After various restructures and changes in focus, PAI became an incorportated body that included independant directors which effectively took management away from the peak groups mentioned above. The CaSPA Board during this period elected to move away from mem... Thu, 11 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/its-official---there-has-been-a-decline-in-catholic-secondary-enrolments-in-the-past-year https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/its-official---there-has-been-a-decline-in-catholic-secondary-enrolments-in-the-past-year The Commonwealth Agust Census has confirmed what many had believed to be the case - there has been a drop in Catholic Secondary enorlments in the past 12 months. As the chart above reveals around 800 fewer students are enrolled in our schools compared to the same time in 2017. This breaks a trend over a number of years where there had been a steady increase in enrolments. A number of factors have been suggested for this including: The concerns around a drop in funding, which now fortunately appears to have been resolved The failure of wages to keep up with the costs... Wed, 10 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/cutting-the-cost-of-compliance-for-caspa-schools https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/cutting-the-cost-of-compliance-for-caspa-schools Above: Ross Castle, Gen Manager for Clients at CCI discusses ways of better managing Compliance with CaSPA Exec Officer Frank FitzGerald One consequence of the recent Royal Commission on Institutional Sexual Abuse has been a heightened awareness by Catholic Schools - and their system authorities - of the need to mitigate risk. This along with increasing demands for accountability, has seen the workload for schools - and in particular principals - increase dramatically. A significant number of principals report this as a significant factor in increasing stress and pressure. Some e... Tue, 09 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/profile--rita-grima--vic---rob-corboy--qld--rhett-bowden--nt- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/profile--rita-grima--vic---rob-corboy--qld--rhett-bowden--nt- We thank the following colleagues for sharing their profiles with us: St Columba's College, Essendon - Rita Grima St Brendan's College, Yeppoon - Rob Corboy O'Loughlin Catholic College, Darwin - Rhett Bowden If you would like to join the growing number of schools who have their profile on the CaSPA website, simply send an email with "CaSPA Profile Template" in the subject line to admin@caspa.edu.au and we will send you a template to complete and return. ... Mon, 08 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/what-were-the-issues-confronting-caspa-principals-in-2001- https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/what-were-the-issues-confronting-caspa-principals-in-2001- the more things change, the more they stay the same.... CaSPA held its intial National Conference in Melbourne in 2001. Key concerns of Principals were brought to light ....unfortunately the majority of these remain key concerns of our Principals Will a fresh look at Governance assist us all to lead our communities more effectively? As part of the Governance Project being sponsored by CaSPA, Dr Peter Casey has been invited to review aspects of the history of our National Body.  As a member of the organising committee of the Inaugural CaSPA Conference ... Sun, 07 Oct 2018 09:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/stem---research-shows-girls-and-boys-do-equally-well https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/stem---research-shows-girls-and-boys-do-equally-well The analysis, led by UNSW Sydney PhD student Rose O'Dea and published in prestigious journal Nature Communications, explored patterns in the academic grades of 1.6 million students. The results cast doubt on the view that there are fewer women in STEM-related jobs because they aren't as capable in those subjects as men a notion that has been supported by the concept that gender differences in variability lead to gender gaps in associated fields. In their meta-analysis, the UNSW researchers compared gender differences in variation of academic grades from over 1.6 million student... Sat, 06 Oct 2018 09:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/acara-to-have-a-new-ceo-in-2019 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/acara-to-have-a-new-ceo-in-2019 Above: Robert Randall at a recent CaSPA Board Meeting In the email below, the current CEO of ACARA - Robert Randall - explains his plans to pursue other challenges in 2019. Rob has been a great friend to CaSPA and generously given of his time to attend our Board Meetings and assist in other ways. We thank him for his leadership in this high profile and politically sensitive role, and wish him all the best for his future plans.   Earlier this week I advised the ACARA Board Chair, Belinda Robinson of my decision not to seek to renew my contract when it ends in early 2019. ... Fri, 05 Oct 2018 09:00:00 +1000 https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/vacancy---english-curriculum-specialist-with-acara https://www.caspa.edu.au/blog/vacancy---english-curriculum-specialist-with-acara The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) is an independent statutory authority whose mission is to improve the learning of all young Australians. The Curriculum Specialist, English, will be responsible for providing verbal and written advice on all matters relating to the English curriculum and literacy across the curriculum. This role will generate a range of papers, presentations, correspondence and advice materials, and will work with a range of internal and external stakeholders to achieve the timely completion of deliverables under the annual work plan.... Thu, 04 Oct 2018 09:00:00 +1000