This report is a culmination of Catholic Education Melbourne’s journey towards the expanding horizons of hope in 2018.
After considerable consultation with school and religious leaders, Catholic Education Melbourne’s 2018 year began with the release of its new Identity and Growth resources. These were designed to give all students hope by supporting school leaders and teaching staff as they seek to create safe, nurturing and inclusive environments.
In a significant year for Catholic Education Melbourne, Archbishop Denis Hart stepped down as Archbishop of Melbourne in July 2018, after 17 years in the role.
His leadership has been a guiding hand for Catholic education in the Archdiocese over a period of expanding horizons for education, including the most significant growth in student and school numbers since the 1950s and 1960s, secure and ongoing funding at the federal and state levels, and the introduction of the Enhancing Catholic Schools Identity project. Throughout this, he worked in partnership with Stephen Elder OAM, who also stepped down as Executive Director of Catholic Education Melbourne in 2018.
Melbourne welcomed its ninth Archbishop, Peter A Comensoli, in August 2018. Having previously served as the Bishop of Broken Bay, Archbishop Peter has brought a vibrancy to his role, and a focus on youth and young people. Archbishop Peter has already used his short time to forge closer relationships between schools and the Church to help realise his hope-filled vision.
The school funding debate that had dominated the Catholic education horizon for two years ended in 2018, with the Liberal Nationals Government making substantial changes to its funding model in recognition of the concerns voiced by Melbourne’s Catholic school communities.
It was also an important year for Catholic Education Melbourne as the organisation aimed to further support teaching and learning improvements in its school communities. With the Horizons of Hope foundation statements as a guide, 2018 saw the reintroduction of the Leadership Continuum to support new and emerging leaders, and a renewal of school review models, school improvement surveys, and school improvement resources and frameworks.
