Kōtui: School & Policy Updates - Term 1 Issue 1 2025 (NZCEO)

TĒNĀ KOUTOU KATOA: Editorial by Dr Kevin Shore, CEO

Kia ora koutou

Welcome to 2025! The weather across Aotearoa over the New Year was somewhat unseasonal for many parts of the country and the continuous southerly wind seemed determined to dampen our summer aspirations. However, we are a resilient lot and I am sure you managed to relax and enjoy some quality time away from work.

As schools begin the new school term, a warm welcome to any new principals who are commencing their role in a state integrated school. While there will inevitably be some challenges, I hope you gain immense satisfaction in supporting the development of a thriving school culture. Ngā mihi nui me te aroha nui.

Fifty Years of State Integrated Schools

In 2025, the state integrated school sector will celebrate fifty years since the signing of the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act (PSCIA) on 10 October 1975. This is a particularly important milestone for our sector and is an opportunity to celebrate the over one hundred years of advocacy work that led to the decision by the government of the day to provide state funding to our schools. State integrated schools exist because our religious leaders argued for, in the words of Rory Sweetman, ‘a fair and just solution’ so that what were religious private schools could offer an education that was of the same standard as state schools. As Sir Br Pat Lynch states in his forward to Rory Sweetman’s book ‘A Fair & Just Solution’ the “…fractiousness and mistrust that characterised relationships between the various constituent groups prior to integration were able to be put aside in order to give the young people who had been in private schools educational opportunities on the same basis as those enrolled in the state sector.”

The support of the Labour Government under Prime Minister Normal Kirk was critical as was his motivation in being adamant that “what he called the education running sore of the last one hundred years had to be solved.” As a result, our sector owes a debt of gratitude to Norman Kirk, his colleagues in parliament and the opposition government members who passed the PSCIA (1975) unanimously in parliament. It is only one of very few examples where an act of parliament has been passed unanimously and the rest, as they say, is history.

The state integrated school sector is now well entrenched within state education provision and many of our leaders and education staff in schools have played a significant leadership role in local, regional and national education forums and groups. Over time, our state integrated schools have improved to such an extent that national statistics continue to highlight their effectiveness as educational institutions characterised by wonderful pastoral and achievement outcomes.

More importantly though, integration has enabled state integrated schools to provide an education which reflects their particular religious beliefs or educational philosophies under the term special character. Special character is the gem that gives each state integrated school it’s particular flavour and is the key component of the culture of the school. It is the very reason we exist and has a major influence in preparing young men and women to participate in, and create a society, where values such as love, compassion, justice and respect for human dignity are integral in how we would want to care for our people and our world. While secular society views religious beliefs with some scepticism the numbers of parents looking to enrol their sons and daughters in state integrated schools continues to highlight the important element of choice we provide in education in Aotearoa. Faith is still alive and state integrated schools remain a relevant, effective and important part of state education provision in New Zealand.

The next fifty years will no doubt provide its highlights, successes, difficulties and challenges for our sector. I can say with certainty that I will not be here on earth to celebrate the one hundred year anniversary in 2075. Despite that, I am absolutely certain that state integrated schools will continue to flourish in the decades to come. Thank you to all our stakeholders for the part you have played in building on the legacy of those who have gone before us.

 APIS Meeting with Minister Stanford

The Association of Proprietors of Integrated Schools (APIS) met with Minister Stanford and her team at parliament on the 17^th December 2024. It is always a privilege to have the opportunity to meet with the Minister of Education and APIS appreciated the forty five minutes she was able to provide for further discussion on issues that are important to the interests of state integrated education.

Items discussed included Policy Two funding and potential alternative mechanisms for funding growth in our sector, development of guidance for proprietors on insurance risk management strategies, the involvement of proprietors in regional network planning, proprietor investment in growing the state integrated sector, the Ministers concerns over requests by some state integrated schools for large parent donations and leadership succession and support programmes run by NZCEO.

I am hopeful that by the end of the first half of 2025, I will be able to report in some detail on the outcomes of these discussions. APIS is grateful to Minister Stanford for her openness and willingness to discuss these issues and actively seeking to find solutions to many of our concerns.

Finally

I hope that 2025 proves to be a successful and positive year for you all. Supporting the education of our future citizens is one of the most valuable services we can provide in ensuring the health of our society and our organisations and schools whether they be religious or philosophical.

Best wishes and every blessing to you all.

Kevin Shore, Chief Executive Officer

Catholic Schools Day 2025

We are celebrating Catholic Schools Day 2025 on Wednesday 28 May! This is an opportunity to showcase who we are to our communities. The theme of Catholic Schools Day 2025 is Shine like stars in the world: E tīaho ana koe hei rama i te ao.

To support schools NZCEO has developed a range of resources and information to help minimise the extra preparation required to celebrate the outstanding work of our schools. 

We have a range of resources available on our website at this link. We will continue to add resources so please come back and visit this page regularly:

Governance Video Resources for 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. These 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 videos currently available are:

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
4. Catholic special character
5. Safeguarding and strengthening Catholic special character
6. The religious content of the school programme

7. Property in a Catholic state integrated school NEW

The video resources have been developed to be watched as a whole board at a board meeting, pausing when and where required to enable the board to discuss the content. Some videos are longer (10-12 minutes) and some are shorter but they have been designed to encourage discussion as a board. Each video resource has a slide pack available for those who like to access information by reading and reviewing the content.

Revised NZCEO Documents for Aotearoa New Zealand Catholic Schools

NZCEO has recently revised two documents for use in Aotearoa New Zealand Catholic schools:

1. Principles of Commitment for Staff in Aotearoa New Zealand Catholic Schools

NZCEO has revised the Code of Ethics for Staff and Boards of New Zealand Catholic Schools because of the legal requirement for all school boards to agree to a Code of Conduct, created by the Ministry of Education. NZCEO adapted the Ministry of Education's Code of Conduct for school boards to meet the requirements of Catholic schools. 

The Code of Ethics document has been deleted, and a Principles of Commitment for Staff has been developed.  This is a statement which outlines the commitment of conduct for all staff in a Catholic school. This Principles of Commitment for Staff document can be found on the NZCEO website on the Resources page. You may wish to display this document in your staff room and office foyer.

This document is also available to download here: 

1. Statement of Expectations for Staff of a Catholic School

The Statement of Expectations for Staff of a Catholic School has been updated to better reflect the current understanding of the place of staff in a Catholic school. Please use this 2025 document as part of your induction process. Please delete all older versions. The revised statement can be found on the NZCEO website on the Resources page.

NZCEO Annual Report 2024 – we need you!

NZCEO were delighted to feature many of our wonderful Catholic schools in our 2023 Annual Report.

If you would like your school to feature in the annual report for 2024 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!

Please ensure that you upload images in the highest resolution you can. Phone photos are totally fine but be sure to upload full size image files.

Artificial Intelligence and Young People in Catholic Schools

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology that is rapidly transforming our world and will undoubtedly play a major role in the life of young people and ourselves. In a world where technology is evolving at a rapid pace, it is critical for Catholic schools to understand how AI works, and its ethical and social implications. In thinking about AI, it is also essential not to forget the importance of universal and spiritual values. These values, shared by diverse cultures and religions, provide essential keys to an AI that fully respects human dignity and the common good. Therefore, we need to consider:

• What real benefits can AI bring?
• How can we protect ourselves from possible abuses?

To assist Catholic schools in contemplating these questions from a Catholic perspective the International Office of Catholic Education (OIEC) has produced a booklet aimed at young people titled AI and Young People at School: Understand, Think, Use and Act with the Global Compact on Education. This booklet is an excellent resource for students and teachers wishing to know more about AI and its implications for humanity. The booklet explores the crucial questions of AI use, the ethical challenges posed by AI, and how AI can be a powerful tool. The booklet, also, explores the teachings of the Church, especially the Catholic Social Teachings, that can guide us in our use of AI.

In the booklet’s introduction the OIEC invites us:

To get ready for an exciting and rewarding journey into the heart of AI, guided by the timeless wisdom of the Church and the challenges of our time. Together, we will learn to embrace the possibilities of AI while remining true to our deepest values.[1]

[1] International Office of Catholic Education. (2024). AI and young people at school: Understand, think, use and act with the Global compact on Education, p. 5.

The full document is available to read and download below:

Pilgrimage Aotearoa | Haerenga Tapu Aotearoa

Pilgrimage Aotearoa / Haerenga Tapu Aotearoa, by Jenny Boyack and John Hornblow offers readers a unique guide to 100 sites in Aotearoa New Zealand, blending history, culture and spirituality. It invites you on a journey of reflection and discovery, uncovering rich stories that make these places significant to our country’s identity and soul.

The guidebook tells why each site is important, gives directions for how to get there, and provides links for more information about place or people. It includes practical tips for planning individual or group pilgrimages and thoughtful reflections for personal contemplation.

Thirteen sites covered in the book are of specifically Catholic interest, including the Pompallier Printery in Russell / Kororareka, Hiruhārama / Jerusalem on the Whanganui River, and St Mary of the Angels in Wellington.

For further information, see the downloadable flyer below or follow this link:

Te Kupenga Teacher Certification Handbook

From Robert Blucher, Chief Executive of Te Kupenga

The Teacher Certification Handbook has been updated and gives a greater focus to gaining qualifications. This handbook replaces the previous 2014 edition. It follows wide consultation in the sector and is endorsed by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC). The handbook is available to read below, and also on the Te Kupenga Catholic Theological College website, here.

Missionz - National Contest

From Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (MissioAotearoa), Fr Michael Pui

The objective of Missionz / MissioAotearoa is to promote awareness of the mission of the Catholic Church – to present the good news of Jesus Christ to all peoples, and to generate spiritual, material and financial support for those working in mission and third world territories. 

In 2024 Fr Michael Pui reintroduced Mission Boxes for use in New Zealand Catholic schools. While, as a nation, we are heading towards a ‘cashless society’ the box is still an invaluable tool to act as a focal point, not just for Mission Sunday, but as a tangible prop to remind the schools to get involved. 

In preparation for Mission Sunday, 19 October 2025, MissioAotearoa is holding a competition to design the 2025 Mission Box. This competition is open to all students in New Zealand Catholic Schools. Entries must be received via email (info@missio.nz) by 31st March 2025.  A prize of $100 and a certificate will be awarded to the winning Entry from Primary School. A prize of $150 and a certificate will be awarded to the winning Entry from Secondary School. 

Full details can be found here:

Congratulations to New Principals

Our warm congratulations to the following new principals:

Auckland Diocese

Hayden Kingdon, Pompallier Catholic College, Whangarei

Alexandra Russell, Baradene College, Auckland

Vincenza Golding, St Michael's Catholic School, Remuera

Hamilton Diocese

Gerry McGirr, St Patrick's Catholic School, Taumarunui 

Wharekahika Clarke, St Joseph's School, Matamata

Nicole Higby, St Peter's Catholic School, Cambridge

Palmerston North diocese

Brook Murfitt, St Joseph's School, Opunake

Ngahina Transom, St Joseph's Maori Girls College, Napier

Kara-Leigh Jones, St Joseph's School, Hastings

Christchurch diocese

Jill White, St Joseph's School, Pleasant Point

Amanda O'Brien, St Joseph's School, Timaru

Dunedin Diocese

Kieran Udy, St Peter's College, Gore