Kōtui: School & Policy Updates - Term 1 Issue 1 2024 (NZCEO)

TĒNĀ KOUTOU KATOA: Editorial by Dr Kevin Shore, CEO

Kia ora koutou

I hope the Christmas/New Year break was relaxing, enjoyable and a time of recovery and rejuvenation for all the hard-working staff and stakeholders involved in state integrated education. My own summer break was interrupted by a period of COVID over Christmas and an accident that resulted in several broken ribs and a broken collar bone. It just goes to show you are never too old to be guilty of stupidity and my mother tells me I should know better. Consequently, I have limped into 2024 somewhat beaten up and in need of repair. However, things can only improve and the weather has been great in my part of the country.

Rosalie Connors (Manager of Special Character at NZCEO) and I travelled to Freemantle in Western Australia in mid-January 2024 to attend an international gathering of Catholic University staff and system leaders from North America, Australia, Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland and New Zealand. It was a great opportunity to discuss how religious schools operate in the various international contexts and the differences and similarities that we share with other countries. For example, the principle of preference that is embedded in the New Zealand state integrated school context is quite foreign in other countries where religious and philosophical schools can enrol students from all faith and backgrounds.

Despite our differences, some of the significant challenges for religious schools across international boundaries are very similar. This includes the impact of secular values and wider societies emphasis on scientific rationalism over faith and spiritual beliefs. This is creating a tension between reason and faith when in fact faith and love serve reason and help us to find meaning within our lives. One of the interesting arguments made by one of the speakers was that specific views on faith can be unsettling in the public space. Therefore, there is a tendency for people with these views to vacate the public space and move into a private space. Secularism is, therefore, left uncontested and this has continuing implications for state integrated schools in New Zealand.

The challenge of course is that we need to communicate faith and reason to our students in a way that is embedded in the society of the times. We cannot withdraw from the world of our families to remain somehow uncontaminated and that will be a continuing challenge for our schools. One of the quotes I wrote down from Fr Eamon Conway was that ‘Faith sharpens the inner eye opening the mind to discover. Faith and reason are like two wings needed to find truth.’

It is the integration of the spiritual and the intellectual in the education that is offered in our state integrated schools that allows so many of our students to fully flourish. We do not need to be apologetic about this as it is what attracts our families to our schools and is a key ingredient to the success of state integrated schools in New Zealand.

The New National Led Coalition Government

As I write this editorial, APIS (Association of Proprietors of State Integrated Schools) is still yet to find out which Minister in the National led coalition government has been given responsibility for our sector. I would be surprised if it is not Minister Stanford but we are still waiting on confirmation. The coalition talks before Christmas and the subsequent Christmas break have no doubt worked against some of these details being sorted but it is very difficult to move on some of the important and challenging issues  in our sector without this information.

In terms of the government’s 100 day plan, there are two that will affect our schools from term one 2024. The first is the ban on the use of cell phones in schools and the second is the requirement for primary and intermediate schools to teach an hour of reading, writing and maths per day starting in term one 2024. It does appear that things are moving very slowly at the moment in Wellington but the following link may be helpful in terms of cell phones and is likely to be added to:

Advice and guidance to support your school or kura to implement student phone rules.

I note in these cell phone guidelines that school rules must be in effect no later than the start of Term 2, 29 April 2024.

APIS has expressed interest in engaging with the Ministry of Education on the implementation of the Partnership School Model so that we are able to advise state integrated schools on this matter. I have requested that as the Partnership Model is developed that APIS receives regular progress reports and the opportunity to provide feedback. Our rights and responsibilities as state integrated schools have been hard won and the partnership model will need careful consideration in terms of its potential impact on our sector.

The Development of Video Resources on the History of the Integration Act (PSCIA, 1975)

As I alluded to in the last edition of Kōtui in 2023 ‘good things take time’. The development of these videos has been both exciting and frustrating as factors within the media production process stalled progress in the later parts of 2023. APIS has worked hard to mitigate these issues and hope to at least share the first video at some stage in the first term of 2024. The focus of this video is a summary of the historical timeline leading up to and beyond the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act (1975).

Significant progress on the remaining three or four videos should take place in the first half of 2024. We still need to interview at least two more people with a strong knowledge of the state integrated sector and hope to complete this in March/April this year.     

Essential Property Maintenance Package (EPMP)

APIS is conscious that we are entering the final stage of EPMP with all projects needing to be completed by August 2024. Approximately $7M of EPMP funds still need to be transferred to proprietors and this will be the focus for our team in the first part of 2024. Jenny Gordon and Karen Raitt will be in communication with proprietors who have yet to complete a transfer of funding application and look to provide whatever support they can to ensure each proprietor and school receives the funding that has been allocated to them. Success for APIS and our EPMP team is the 100% allocation of all EPMP funds to proprietors resulting in no funds having to be returned to the Ministry of Education.

If you have any concerns at all, please contact our EPMP team using this email contact: apis.epmp@nzceo.org.nz

The Living Wage Pledge

A few weeks before the end of 2023, I met with Finn Caldwell and John Kennedy-Good who spoke to me on behalf of the Living Wage Movement Aotearoa who have launched a Living Wage Schools Campaign and Pledge. I was spoken to in my capacity as CEO of the NZ Catholic Education Office with a focus on the Catholic state integrated school sector but this may be of interest to the wider state integrated sector. This group is campaigning to ensure that all school cleaners, caretakers, canteen staff, and groundskeepers (CCCGs) are paid the living wage. The movement is calling on central government to provide new targeted living wage funding for state and state integrated schools enabling them to ensure both their contracted and directly employed CCCG staff are valued and able to live a decent life. They are looking for pledges of supports from school boards and given that many schools would require further government support to achieve this it is certainly worth considering supporting this campaign.

Further information is provided in this edition of Kōtui.

Finally

I would like to send my best wishes and blessings to all of our state integrated school stakeholders as we begin the 2024 school year. The outcomes for students in our state integrated schools continue to be impressive. However, we live within a society that is being subjected to the various stresses and forces that are challenging our education goals. This has impacted on schools and students in areas such as attendance, achievement, and wellbeing. The state integrated sector is not immune to these issues, and we will need to remain positive, committed, and open to new ideas and strategies in order to support our students and families. Thank you for the work you have done, and will do, in 2024 in support of the young people we love, nurture and care deeply about.  

Kevin Shore, Chief Executive Officer

Catholic Education Convention 2024 - Registrations Are Now Open!

We are pleased to announce that early bird registrations for the 2024 NZCE Convention are now open! The convention will take place at the TSB Arena in Wellington from 19 - 21 June 2024.

The convention theme: Tūhono Whakapono—Together, one faith community reflects how we establish links, make connections and relate to our sisters and brothers in Christ, who through the shared experience of baptism are kin.

All information relating to the convention including the registration fees, accommodation options, and a draft programme can be found on the convention website.

Early bird registrations will close on Sunday 5th May 2024. We encourage you to book flights, organise accommodation and register now to make the most of these discounted rates.

Call for Abstracts

We are looking for 15 high quality and engaging seminars that fit with the Convention theme, Tūhuno Whakapono: One Faith Community, or themes relevant to New Zealand Catholic education today. The seminars will be categorised under four streams:

• Catholic school board governance
• Catholic special character
• Religious Education and the wider curriculum
• The Church today  

You can find full details on the convention website and abstract submissions will close Friday 16 February 2024.

Submitting an abstract - find out more

Governance Video Resources

NZCEO are in the process of developing a series of video resources designed to provide an overview of what is unique about Catholic state integrated school boards.  As stewards of faith-based education, the board has the unique challenge and responsibility to safeguard and preserve the Catholic special character of the school. The video resources are aimed at providing key information and advice to support the board to navigate the complexities of governance in a Catholic state integrated school. 

The topics will cover an introduction to governance in Catholic state integrated school and will then focus on the four key aspects that are unique to state integrated schools – enrolment, employment, property and special character.

The first three topics are available now to view:

1. Introduction to governance in a Catholic state integrated school
2. The role of the proprietor appointee on a Catholic state integrated school board
3. Enrolment in a Catholic state integrated school

Followed by the topics below which will be uploaded over the next several weeks:

• Property in a Catholic state integrated school
• Employment in a Catholic state integrated school
• Catholic Special Character
• Safeguarding and strengthening Catholic special character
• The religious content of the school programme

Whether you’re a seasoned board member seeking continuous improvement or a newcomer looking for foundational knowledge, these resources are tailored to meet the diverse needs of Catholic state-integrated school boards.  These resources will continue to be developed so please let us know if you have a topic you would like to be covered.

NZCEO Annual Report 2023 – we need you!

NZCEO were delighted to feature many of our wonderful Catholic schools in our 2022 annual report.

If you would like your school to feature in the annual report for 2023 please share a photo featuring your school by uploading it to our Dropbox account.  Photos need to be high resolution and have permission to publish in our report.  Photos available from school websites are always welcome. This report is for Catholic proprietors and shared with our schools and also features on the NZCEO website.

We look forward to seeing your pictures!

Catholic Schools Day - 2025

We last celebrated Catholic Schools day on 29 September 2021. The theme was Tūrangawaewae: Catholic Schools – A Place to Stand. The next Catholic Schools Day will be celebrated in 2025, the year after the 2024 Catholic Education Convention. The Convention was postponed due to disruption caused by COVID-19, and we hope now to return to our ordinary cycle of events. Our Catholic schools are the outward sign of a long commitment from both the Church and parents of Catholic children in “helping form Christ in the lives of others”. Catholic Schools Day provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and showcase our unique identity to both our communities and our wider nation. 

We will update you on Catholic Schools Day 2025 as we get closer to the time. The NZCEO website has a bundle of resources from the last Catholic Schools Day available to help schools prepare for this celebration:

Living Wage Schools Campaign

The Living Wage Movement has launched ‘Living Wage Schools’, a campaign focused on delivering a living wage for the lowest-paid workers in schools, such as cleaners, caretakers, canteen staff, and groundskeepers.

These staff members play an indispensable role in the operations of over 2500 schools in Aotearoa. However, most of these workers are paid the minimum wage or an amount very close to it, leaving them unable to cover their basic costs or live with dignity. 

The concept of a just wage has been ingrained in Catholic social teaching for at least 100 years. Wages must be sufficiently high to adequately provide for families and children, enabling working people to live with dignity and actively participate in society. Pope Francis emphasised in 2013: “Not paying a just wage, not providing work, focusing exclusively on the balance books, on financial statements, only looking at making personal profit. That goes against God!” 

This new campaign aims to bring together faith, workers, and school communities to urge the central government to provide fresh funding for these workers to finally receive a living wage.  

Please note that this is a campaign to have the central government provide funding to schools to ensure they can pay the living wage to both their direct and contracted cleaners, caretakers, canteen staff, and groundskeepers (CCCG workers).

We are not expecting schools to bear the financial burden of these changes. The key objective of the campaign is to galvanise broad support across the school community for the living wage for CCCG workers. This will demonstrate to the government that schools and school communities support this campaign and want funding to pay these staff a living wage.

To get involved and find out more please go to:

Further resources:

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 again for 2024.

Further information about the application process can be found here.

The application form is available here as a MS Word document, and here as a PDF. 

Applications should be sent to Rosalie Connors (Manager, Special Character) at NZCEO: email r.connors@nzceo.org.nz by 28 February 2024.

Teachers in Catholic secondary Schools and the New Evangelisation

Developing Schools that are Centres for Evangelisation

The terms evangelisation and the New Evangelisation can be stumbling blocks. What do we understand evangelisation and the New Evangelisation to be? Is it about standing on street corners proclaiming the Gospel message? Does it relate to an over emphasis on practices of piety? Does the Catholic school have a role in it? What is the teacher’s role?

To answer these questions the Dean of Australian Catholic University’s La Salle Academy, Br David Hall FMS, introduces us to the work of Dr John Kyle-Robinson on teachers in Catholic Secondary Schools and the New Evangelisation. While the work focuses on secondary schools the commentary and results can also be relevant to primary.

The Catholic school in the mission of the Church

The Catholic school is part of the Church; therefore it derives its purpose from the mission of the Church, which is to share Jesus’s vision of how life is to be lived. Furthermore, the Church, consequently the Catholic school ‘exists to evangelise… to bring the Good News into all strata of humanity, and through its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new”[1]. Pope Francis places it in even simpler terms as “evangelisation is to make the Kingdom of God present in our world”[2]. The New evangelisation, a term set by Pope John Paul II, called the Church to find new ways to bring the Gospel message of Jesus to those who have become disconnected to their faith, particularly for those who believe it has no meaning for them.[3]

The Catholic school as a centre for the New Evangelisation

Catholic schools are centres of evangelisation where they endeavour to make evangelisation a lived experience by expressing it through their Catholic special character.  Furthermore, it is teachers’ faith witness that makes the greatest contribute to igniting the gift of faith of their students. Dr Kyle-Robison, in his research, gathered the voices of teachers and addressed essential questions:

• What are the blocks and pitfalls?
• What are the opportunities?
• Where should we put our efforts and resources?

I encourage you to read the full article and the results of Dr Kyle-Robinson’s research read the article  here or  click on the link button below

Rosalie Connors, Manager, Special Character

[1] Pope Paul VI. (1975). Evangelii Nuntiandi, n8.

[2] Pope Francis (2013). Evangelii Gaudium, n176.

[3] Sultmann, W. & Brown, R. (2014). Catholic school identity and the new evangelisation. Journal of Religious Education, 62(1), 1-13.

Caritas update

As we embark on another school year, the Caritas Education Team is delighted to reconnect with you. We’re eager to share the exciting lineup of key events and dates for upcoming Caritas initiatives. Throughout 2024, we’re looking forward to a collaborative journey, working together to deepen our young people’s understanding of their Catholic faith and empowering them to answer the call to act justly.

Lent 2024

As we step into the season of Lent, we are delighted to share the theme for the Caritas Lent resources in 2024: “The Time is Now! Ko Tēnei tonu te Wā!” Throughout this sacred season, each week will be dedicated to exploring a unique aspect of time, perfectly aligned to the key themes from the Gospel of that week.

Our resources have been designed to intentionally connect each week’s exploration with key Catholic social teaching principles. This fosters meaningful links between the Gospel and the heartwarming, transformative Caritas stories that we’re eager to share with your students.

To assist in planning a dynamic and faith-filled Lenten learning programme, we present the Teacher Guide. This comprehensive guide serves as an excellent starting point, containing everything you need for your Lenten journey.

But that is not all! We’ve also developed a special junior and senior Stations of the Cross liturgy, offering a unique Aotearoa perspective as we embark on a spiritual hikoi from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island. Complementing this, our fun, practical and easy-to-use Action Plan is designed to bring Lent alive for your students.

All these resources are readily accessible online for your convenience.

Furthermore, if you wish to dive deeper into the Lent resources or are planning a staff presentation, we invite you to book a session with the Caritas Education team.

Caritas Social Justice Chats

The much-anticipated Caritas Justice Chats for junior and senior school leaders are back and better than ever! Taking place in March, these dynamic and interactive sessions are designed to inspire young people to step into their roles as active leaders of social justice, peace and change within their schools, based on the principles of Catholic social teaching.

This year, we are offering 5 primary and 2 senior sessions, all taking place virtually via Zoom. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to foster a sense of justice and leadership in your students. Learn more about these empowering chats and reserve your place by clicking here.

Caritas Challenge in 2024

Are you up for the challenge? If the answer is yes, join us as we partner with the He Oranga Taurikura programme, to bring about lasting change for communities in different countries, helping families thrive.

Engage in activities that raise awareness of social justice and invite sponsors to join you on this meaningful journey. This nationwide event offers flexibility, allowing participation at any time throughout the year. Access resources online, register your school or group today, and check out our promo video. Contact us to receive your complimentary starter pack, complete with t-shirts, pens, and posters. Let's stand together in solidarity and make a real difference.

YCC Day

In 2023, our Catholic school community came together on YCC Day and raised over $32,000 for Oecusse School in Timor Leste. We're excited to share that the much anticipated project is in the pipeline to repair the school toilets and is expected to be completed in April. Your invaluable support has truly made a positive impact on the lives of the students at this incredible school.

This year, mark your calendars for YCC Day on Friday 5 July. Join young people across New Zealand in solidarity for a good cause by wearing non-uniform for a gold coin donation. For this YCC Day, we're supporting Holy Trinity Primary School in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea, aiming to assist their 350 students in gaining access to essential classroom equipment. This includes desks, chairs, textbooks, exercise books, and basic writing and art supplies. Let's make a difference together!

Caritas Competitions

Our two student competitions, the SINGout4JUSTICE competition and the Kaitiaki2Share competition, are back in 2024.

SINGout4JUSTICE competition: Closes on Wednesday, 21 August. Find out more details on our website: SINGout4JUSTICE

Kaitiaki2Share competition: Closes on Wednesday, 28 August. Discover more information here: Kaitiaki2Share

We encourage you to enter, and more details will be shared throughout the year.

Social Justice Week 2024

Heads up! Social Justice Week will take place from September 8th to 14th! We’re continuing to explore the theme of ‘Imagine Peace For All / Pohewatia te Rangimārie mō te Katoa’. This year, our focus will centre around the powerful concepts of forgiveness and reconciliation. Stay tuned for more details.

Get in Touch

For any resource orders or queries contact the team at michaels@caritas.org.nz or justine@caritas.org.nz   

For more education related information check out the website at www.caritas.org.nz/schools

Leadership Webinar Series - Te Kupenga Catholic Theological College

Complex Social Issues for School Boards

This webinar aims to tackle complex social issues in schools like bullying, abuse and violence, and how school leaders respond to complaints. More importantly, it aims to equip leaders to create a safe learning environment and community.

Presenter: Dr Rocio Figueroa Alvear

Session 1:  13 February 2024
Violence, Abuse and Trauma-informed Community

Session 2: 20February 2024
Creating a Safe Community

Session 3: 27 February 2024
Response to Complaints of Abuse and Violence 

All sessions are on Tuesday 5:30-6:30PM on Zoom. Registration Fee: $60 for the three sessions.
See below for the link to register, and a downloadble PDF flyer

A Current of Grace - Renewing Catholics Schools as Centres of Evangelisation

Dates: Monday, 20 May, and Tuesday 21 May

Venue: Australian Catholic University, Canberra Campus

This two-day Conference focuses on re-imagining Catholic schools as centres of evangelisation, drawing on two high-impact strategies – leader and teacher formation and peer-to-peer youth ministry. The Australian Catholic University’s La Salle Academy and Catholic Schools Youth Ministry International will conduct the Conference at the ACU Canberra campus.  It will feature keynotes and workshops by Catholic education system and school leaders throughout Europe, Africa and Oceania. There will also be the opportunity for school visits to witness student peer-to-peer ministry in action.

To register, and for further information, follow the link below:

Congratulations to New Principals

Our warm congratulations to the following new principals:

Auckland Diocese

Ben Fahey at Good Shepherd School, Balmoral

Hamilton Diocese

Erin Clayton at St Pius X Catholic School, Melville

Palmerston North Diocese

April Baylis at St Patrick's, Inglewood

Wellington Archdiocese

Tala Moemai at Holy Cross, Miramar

Christchurch Diocese

Jackie Andrews at St Teresa's, Riccarton

Dunedin Diocese

Sara Jones-Hogan at St Joseph's, Oamaru

Gallagher's security solutions help Hastings Christian School take their gym from vision to reality

Hastings Christian School (HCS), a non-denominational state integrated school serving years 1-13, has a problem many small schools dream of: they’re growing. They opened in 1987 with 16 children and just one teacher. In 2024, the roll sits at 340, and with that growth comes challenges for its facilities. “Over the years we’ve expanded our buildings, but one sticking point has been the absence of a gymnasium,” says HCS Principal, Gavin Clark.

Without a gym, HCS has been forced to rent an off-site facility for student sports and school events. That’s why in recent years, HCS has been working toward a goal of building a gym to improve the student experience, serve as a community hub, and generate an additional source of income for their growing school. But to achieve that goal, they needed a security solution that could help them safely share their gym with the community while still protecting the rest of their school.

Follow the link below to read the full case study: