Lighting New Fires: School & Policy Updates - September 2022 (NZCEO)

TĒNĀ KOUTOU KATOA

Kia tau te rangimārie ki a koutou

APIS has been involved in a number of judicial reviews and legal challenges over the last two years. This is not something that we need or want but societal values continue to evolve and agreements made in the past in good faith are being tested as political and philosophical views move in a changing world. Having had the privilege of viewing so many legal opinions and affidavits over this period, it is obvious that the crucial role that proprietors play within the state integrated education system is not always recognised or appreciated. The Private Schools Conditional Integration Act (PSCIA, 1975) was signed almost fifty years ago and many who serve in crucial roles both within state integrated education and outside have a very limited understanding of the important role of the proprietor and the intentions of the Act. As a result, APIS is initiating a small videographic project to record some of the history leading up to the PSCIA and the challenges of its implementation. It was not always easy for proprietors and, for example, it took over 20 years for the government to recognise their commitment to fund the maintenance of state integrated schools to an equivalent of state schools through the implementation of Policy One funding. Key individuals such as Sir Br. Pat Lynch and latterly Paul Ferris have had to work very hard to ensure our sector continues to be viewed as state schools with a special character that provide parents with the choice of a values or religious based education.

The recent judicial review against the Secretary of Education by Mr Gifford was a case in point where APIS needed to be involved to ensure the rights of proprietors were recognised and not diminished by a ruling in court. There was a very real danger in this case that if Mr Gifford’s judicial review was successful that proprietors could conceivably have their ability to seek donations restrained in such a way that they could not meet their legal responsibilities to supervise the maintenance and preservation of the education with a special character

The Judge’s finding that proprietors of State-integrated schools may fundraise for purposes other than the acquisition and maintenance of land and buildings was very important given that this was never expressed explicitly in the Act. For example, the ability of the proprietor to supervise, preserve and safeguard the special character of the education provided by the school is a statutory responsibility in the Act but the ability of a proprietor to seek voluntary donations for this purpose is not expressed in the Act. In the view of the Judge, it would be difficult to see how proprietors would be able fulfil this function were they prohibited by the Act to raise funds on a voluntary basis for purposes not connected with the land and buildings associated with the school. While it has always been understood that proprietors did have a right to request voluntary donations to preserve and safeguard special character it is pleasing to have such a legal precedent.

I do need to make the point, however, that this decision is still subject to Mr Gifford’s legal right of appeal and it may be several weeks before we know whether he will exercise his rights here.

Essential Property Maintenance Package (EPMP)

It is particularly pleasing to see that as I write this editorial that pre-approval applications for EPMP funding have crossed the $50M threshold. This is a truly outstanding effort made possible by the efforts of the APIS team, proprietors and their property managers. It has been a very challenging last few months as the deadline of the 31^st August loomed for our sector. I want to express my gratitude to everyone in the state integrated school sector who has contributed to getting to this point – still a small way to go but almost there. It is the hope of APIS, that despite all the challenges our school communities across Aotearoa have been able to benefit from the application of this funding

Ngā manaakitanga

Kevin Shore, Chief Executive Officer

EPMP update

Phase one of the EPMP Programme concluded on 31 August.  The EPMP team have been fully occupied over the last few weeks processing applications, verifying documents, and talking to proprietors to ensure all eligible funds have been allocated to a project.  APIS can confirm that all eligible schools will have funds allocated to an essential property maintenance project by the deadline.

APIS would like to thank all proprietors for working alongside the EPMP team to ensure their funds did not go unallocated. This has been a substantial phase of the programme and to be able to report to the Ministry that all integrated school proprietors have a project in place is significant. We appreciate that this phase of the programme has generated a large amount of work for proprietors but at the heart of what we do are our students, and they will benefit from the outcome of the completed projects. 

The work does not stop and this month we will report on the number of completed projects to date.  An example can be seen below from Rolleston Christian School’s roof replacement and St Mary’s Christchurch, classroom carpet.

Please contact the EPMP office (apis.epmp@nzceo.org.nz) if you would like support to submit your funding release application or completion of project form.

I would like to thank the EPMP team for exceeding expectations and for the dedication required to ensure all proprietors were supported during phase one of the programme.

Karen Raitt, Manager, Essential Property Maintenance Programme

What do you desire most for your students?

As a teacher and DRS in a Catholic school my greatest desire for my students was that they use the gift of faith given by God to integrate that faith into their daily lives. In doing so, every aspect of their lives would be viewed and lived from a Catholic perspective.  So, when I recently came across another monograph from the Canadian Institute for Catholic Education entitled “The Hope in Our Hearts: Living Our Faith Every Day” I felt I had come across a resource worth sharing.

The Catholic school is a centre for human formation (Congregation for Catholic Education, 1977), with its educational programme intentionally directed to the growth and formation of the whole person. The CCE goes onto say that “This is simply another way of saying that the school is an institution where young people gradually learn to open themselves up to life as it is, and to create in themselves a definite attitude to life as it should be” (paragraph 31). This is achieved by sharing through all the school’s educational endeavours a Christian vision of reality helping students, staff and whānau to build up the Reign of  God.

In The Catholic Education of School Age Children (New Zealand Catholic Bishop’s Conference, 2014) we were reminded that at the core of the Catholic school’s purpose is the task of creating a synthesis of faith and life, thus transforming beliefs into action. This continues to be our call every day in Catholic schools. That being strong in our faith leads us to right action is what the Institute for Catholic Education are intending to show us in their 2019 publication “The Hope in Our Hearts: Living Our Faith Every Day”. They open their discussion by stating “As we fully integrate faith into our lives, we find that it manifests itself in the way we understand situations, how we respond, the actions we take, and the way we relate to each other.” (Institute for Catholic Education, 2019).

Using a framework of ‘Heart, Head and Hands’ the Institute lays out a series of questions to invite reflections and responses by students, teachers, education workers, principals, deputy principals, parents, and support staff about living faith every day. They continue the conversation by then reflecting on our faith and Catholic social teaching helping us to see “God is in the detail of our daily lives”. Through a series of questions, they prompt us to see how the principles of Catholic social teaching can help us to ‘do’ our faith so that we carry on Jesus’ work in building the Reign of God.

As we continue to learn how to authentically integrate the Christian vision of reality across all areas of Catholic special character, including the whole curriculum, I hope this resource provides prompts and questions as a means of synthesising faith and life in your school.  

You can find the full article here:

Rosalie Connors, Manager, Special Character, NZCEO

2022 Symposium Series: Session One recording available

On Wednesday 24 August people from across Aotearoa joined us for the first in the 2022 Catholic Professional Learning and Formation Symposium Series. Professor Peta Goldburg, foundation Professor of Religious Education at Australian Catholic University, facilitated a discussion on Aroha Pūmau: Holiness-The Call to be Whole. This topic is a key Te Rama Aroha Cross Theme in the new Religious Education Curriculum Tō Tātou Whakapono Our Faith and a critical but often misunderstood area of understanding for Catholic school communities.

The Symposium Series is intended to be interactive and involves group discussions and question and answer sessions. However we have made available a recording of Aroha Pūmau: Holiness-The Call to be Whole for those who were unable to join us.

The recording is in two parts (breakout rooms were not recorded) and can be found on the NZCEO YouTube channel below:

Te Kupenga and NZCEO 2022 Symposium Series: Session two

You are warmly invited to participate in the second session of the Te Kupenga & NZCEO free symposium series on 9 November. You can join from the comfort of your office, staffroom or wherever you have access to internet coverage! 
Each symposium in the series explores a key Te Rama Aroha cross theme in the new Religious Education Curriculum Tō Tōtou Whakapono Our Faith. 
The second symposium Mana Tapu: Grace-from salads to sacraments: the presence of God is presented by Colin Macleod (NCRS) on 9 November 3:30-5:00pm.

Full details can be found in the poster below (click the link button to download a high resolution copy). Please share this promotional flyer with your teaching staff and/or other people who may be interested.

Aspiring Leaders Programme 2023-4

NZCEO will in 2023 begin another Aspiring Leaders’ Programme. This  18-month formation programme, consisting of two initial days face to face, followed by a series of regular (approximately two monthly) online seminars and workshops outside of teaching hours concluding with a final face to face gathering.

The first two days will be in Wellington in the first part of 2023, with the dates and venue to be confirmed. The only costs to you/your school will be travel and release from teaching, and an evening meal.  

A full programme will be made available once we have called for registration in early 2023.

The programme is limited to 25 people and is for people who:

• Intend moving into the next leadership level (Principal, Director of Religious Studies, Deputy Principal or Assistant Principal) in a Catholic School within the next 3 years.
• Are willing to commit to completing the full 18-month programme.
• Have not completed another Catholic faith leadership course, for example, through the Marist schools’ network (Fr Mark Walls) or the Lasallian network (De La Salle College, Francis Douglas Memorial Colleges etc).

If you have further questions about what the programme involves please email Rosalie Connors, Manager, Special Character, NZCEO  r.connors@nzceo.org.nz  

Upcoming Caritas Events

Social Justice Week

Social Justice Week has almost arrived. It runs this year from September 4 – 10 and the theme is WHAKAKĀHORETIA TE KAIKIRI. KOTAHI ANŌ TĀTOU I ROTO I TE KARAITI / SAY NO TO RACISM. WE ARE ONE IN CHRIST. In preparation for this important event in our Catholic calendar, Caritas has developed a suite of resources for all Catholic parishes and schools to encourage them to come together to consider, reflect and take action on this important issue. These resources have been inspired and guided by Scripture and the gospels of Jesus Christ, Catholic social teaching and the different Encyclicals written by popes throughout the ages.

During Social Justice week, schools are encouraged to pray, learn, play, and act. Resources have been designed to support each of these aspects:

• Pray / Īnoi – students will be able to use the daily prayers to encounter Jesus and learn the Lord’s Prayer in te reo.
• Learn / Ako – teachers will be able to select from a variety of learning activities that have been designed to grow the hearts, minds, heads, and hands of students as they come to understand what they are called to do as followers of Jesus.
• Play / Tākaro – students will be able to play the specially designed board game aptly named Push & Pull as they work through different situations that either push people apart or that pull people together.
• Reflect & Act / Huritao, Mahia Hoki – students can complete the action card by setting a personal goal to respond to racism by following the principles of Catholic social teaching.

Schools and our wider community can access these resources by visiting our website. We have also uploaded a video sharing more information on how these resources can be used.

We are aware that this topic of racism is not one which can be dealt with in just one week. Our hope is that Social Justice Week will provide us with an opportunity to focus on this issue, to learn together, to undertake respectful dialogue and to act with the love of Christ towards all our neighbours. For us, it is a starting point as we journey together to become one in Christ.

Caritas Justice Chat Reunions

Just a reminder that during September we have our Caritas Justice Chat Reunions. We are hoping to reconnect with primary and secondary schools across the country as they come together to share and inspire one another on their social justice journeys. This will be a wonderful opportunity to hear students share their stories, ideas and plans around how they have been social justice warriors in their school communities.

Here are the dates for the different sessions:

• Primary: Wednesday, 14 September – 9.30 am – 10.15 am
• Secondary: Wednesday, 14 September – 11.30 am – 12.15 pm
• Primary: Monday, 19 September – 11.30 am – 12.15 pm
• Primary: Tuesday, 20 September – 11.30 am – 12.15 pm
• Secondary: Thursday, 22 September – 9.30 am – 10.15 am

Click on this link to register.

BBI-TAITE - Review of Religious Education and Theology

From Professor Gerard Moore, Principal and CEO, BBI-TAITE

BBI-TAITE Offers its Second Academic Journal Review of Religious Education and Theology. The Review is an open access, online journal that seeks to bring together research, insights, and praxis from the overlapping fields of Religious Education and Theology. Behind the Review is an international editorial board. For the reader there is a series of refereed articles allowing you to remain at the forefront of practice and theory of Religious Education that is theologically rich and critically aware.

Each year will see a further edition of the Review, with expanded sections around praxis and curriculum developments. At BBI-TAITE we see this commitment to Religious Education and Theology as part of our mission to enhance the life of the church and the role of faith-based schools. In particular, the Review is the fruit of the imagination and effort of Professor Richard Rymarz, who has shepherded the initiative from the idea stage through to a completed project.

We invite you to access the Review of Religious Education and Theology and to make it known to colleagues, staff, librarians, teachers, and parents who partner in the venture of faith education in our schools.

Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Catholic Culture

 The Faculty of Theology and Philosophy at Australian Catholic University (ACU), in partnership with Te Kupenga Catholic Theological College, is offering the Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Catholic Culture. This program develops graduates’ capacity to integrate a Catholic mission into every aspect of their organisation. It is designed for people who work in Catholic organisations, such as teachers and leaders in Catholic schools. With the support of the New Zealand Catholic Education Office (NZCEO), a limited number of partially sponsored places are available (see the article in this issue - NZCEO Leadership & Education Scholarships).

Further details can be found by downloading the flyer (link below):

NZCEO Leadership & Education Scholarships

Each year the New Zealand Catholic Education Office (NZCEO) makes a significant financial contribution to supporting the development of Catholic teachers in leadership and the teaching of Religious Education. The Board of NZCEO has generously allocated a limited fund to provide scholarships for teachers and aspiring leaders and those in leadership positions to undertake tertiary qualifications – in the main at post graduate level in support of our future Catholic leaders given their need to undertake qualifications in Catholic Leadership or Catholic special character including Theology and Religious Education.

These scholarships will be available in 2023 especially for those enrolling in the Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Catholic Culture.

Further information about the application process can be found at this link:

The application form is available here. (The application form will be downloaded as a Word document when you click the link).  

Applications should be sent to Rosalie Connors (Manager, Special Character) at NZCEO: email r.connors@nzceo.org.nz 

Study with Te Kupenga Catholic Theological College

Te Kupenga encourage teachers to enrol in the Graduate Diploma in Theology with RE elective papers. This is a Level 7 qualification which means that if they have a bachelor’s degree they can get this qualification in preparation for leadership role. You can find more information at this link:

Teamturf Special Offer

Gear yourselves up with Teamturfs ‘bag of balls’ giveaway!

To thank you for your support, our friends at Teamturf (or it’s agents) will be giving away to every NZCEO/APIS school a mixed bag of basketballs and netballs upon completion of a job with Teamturf. 

Valid for jobs confirmed before 31st March 2023, balls will be supplied upon completion of the installation. 

Teamturf has a comprehensive range of artificial turf surfaces designed for primary, intermediate and secondary schools. They have installed their artificial grass in hundreds of schools throughout New Zealand since the company was founded in 2006. Their team is highly experienced along with their agents who are located all over New Zealand.

If you would like more information about what Teamturf can offer you can view their website by clicking here or email the team at info@teamturf.co.nz.