Catholic Education

from Western Sydney Business Access - December 2020

by Access News Australia (ANA)

Trends

200 years of Catholic education

 Irish children don’t miss out  Education for all students  Run by a convict and lay person  Celebrating the Catholic legacy

Students at Australia’s first public school, in Parramatta, 1820.

It all started at Parramatt a in 1820

THIS year is the bicentenary of Catholic education in Australia – and it all began in Parramatta, in a humble school in Hunter St.

And, in the Parramatt a diocese, that stretches across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains, Catholic schools continue to fl ourish.

“An innovative and forward-thinking organisation, Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatt a continues to live out its commitment to faith, learning, equity and leadership through education,” Executive Director Greg Whitby said.

“CEDP is focused on transforming the learning of his 43 000 students and the working lives of around 5000 staff .

“As we look to the future, we’re all about creating great opportunities for children and young people in western Sydney.”

With 80 schools across the diocese, one in four local children and young people are educated in a Catholic school.

Th is includes opening new schools in Sydney’s thriving North West, and a planned STEM-focused school as part of the Sydney Science Park to be located in the new aerotropolis.

At the beginning of 2020, CEDP also opened CathWest Innovation College.

Th is distinctly diff erent approach to senior secondary education includes innovative pathways for students alongside trades training pathways.

With the emphasis on developing skills for success, students have access to professional mentoring, exciting industry partnerships, work placements and recognised qualifi cations to support this learning.

One exciting program that demonstrates CEDP’s future focus is School of Now, which connects students in Western Sydney with new learning opportunities using digital learning tools.

Established to increase students’ subject choices, the program connects classmates and experienced Stage 6 Expert Teachers at diff erent schools.

Th e Western Sydney Catholic community is also working together to update the way schools share the Catholic faith with children and young people.

Th e Draft New Curriculum for Religious Education remains faithful to Sacred Scripture and Tradition while ensuring that the way that the learning and teaching happens is kept up-to-date.

ACU’s Future Students Information Centre now open in Blacktown’s CBD

ACU welcomes the first students

IT is fitting that in the 200th year of community and will become integral phy for undergraduate, postgraduate Catholic education in Australia, Aus- to Blacktown City’s transformation and pathways. tralian Catholic University (ACU) is agenda by providing access to addi- ACU is making the transition set to open its newest campus: The tional opportunities for the diverse to university easier through a range Saint Josephine Bakhita Campus in local community in higher education. of scholarships based on both merit Blacktown. More than 54,000 higher educa- and equity. For those not ready to

In bringing a Catholic university tion students live within 30 minutes go straight from school to university, home to western Sydney we look of Blacktown. From February 2021, there is the new Foundations studies back to the fi rst Catholic school 200 young residents of Western Sydney pathways program. years ago and look forward to new will no longer have to travel vast Part of our strength has always links with the vast family of nations distances to study. Close ties with been the deep and close relationships represented in Western Sydney, those partners in the area mean students we have with the dioceses and archdiwhose backgrounds are from Catho- can learn, seek placements and fi nd ocese in which we exist. We are part of lic, other churches, and other faiths. employment close to home. their community and they ours.

ACU’s founding institutions have Students can study around 30 shaped education across generations. courses in the faculties of Education Th e new campus stands at the cultural and Arts, Health Sciences, Law and Find out more at acu.edu.au/blacktown or and geographical heart of the local Business, and Th eology and Philoso- 1300 275 228

Father John Therry changed everything

BEFORE Irish priest Father John Therry started the first Catholic school in Australia in 1820, Catholic children were not being educated according to their faith.

A former Irish convict, George Marley had been horrifi ed that children of Irish convicts were missing out on a Catholic education and approached Fr Th erry for a solution.

Fr Th erry, born in Cork, had arrived in the colony in 1819. Father John Therry.

Aft er much agitation from Fr Th erry, authorities gave permission for a Catholic school to open.

Parramatt a Marist High School began life in Hunter Street, Parramatt a in 1820.

George Morley was the main teacher of the school.

Th e school accepted students of both genders and Christian denominations and by 1821 taught 31 students.

Children from ages 2 to 12 att ended. Th e reasoning there was that if older children had to stay home to mind their younger siblings, they would miss out on too much school.

Morley reasoned that it was bett er to have the younger children there so their older siblings would not have to att end school.

Non-Catholics were accepted as Morley maintained “it was a Catholic school for all, not a school for Catholics”.

Th at credo has carried through, with many schools accepting children of other denominations and religions.

In 1837, the school moved to a place next to the new Catholic Church (Now St Patrick’s Cathedral) in Parramatt a in 1837.

In 1872 the school came to be operated by the Marist Brothers.