Catholic Education In Australia

Challenges faced by leadership in Catholic schools in achieving its purpose
The final section of this paper will explore some of the challenges that are facing leadership in Catholic schools in Australia with regards to achieving the previously mentioned purpose. Whilst Rossiter acknowledges that “Even a ‘good’ education in Catholic identity will not guarantee that young people will develop and retain an active Catholic religious identity” (2013 p.21), educators in Catholic schools have a responsibility to ensure that students are provided with the opportunity to develop and thrive in the Catholic religious tradition. The list of challenges that impact the education system as a whole in contemporary Australia are wide and varied, however,
Past changes have been largely political and social, significantly impacting the people and culture of Australia, and therefore challenges have arisen within Catholic education that have needed to be overcome. This paper has firstly provided an overview of the establishment of Catholic education in Australia and briefly reviewed some of the significant changes that have occurred in Catholic education. Secondly, this paper discussed the purpose of Catholic education in Australia, establishing that Catholic education in Australia aims to contribute to the formation of the whole person, to lead students to encounter Christ and to instil in students the values of mission and service. Finally this paper has identified and explored challenges faced by Catholic schools in achieving their mission. Three key challenges were identified; globalisation and contextual challenges and their direct influence on the authentic identity of Catholic schools. This paper has discussed the purpose of Catholic schools in contemporary Australia and identified three key challenges that leaders in Catholic schools face in achieving this purpose, providing the basis for future discussion on ways that leadership can address these challenges facing Catholic