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CHARTER Brisbane Catholic Education Office Updated January 2014
CHARTERBrisbane Catholic Education Office
Updated January 2014
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CHARTERBrisbane Catholic Education Office
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Introduction
The Brisbane Catholic Education Office Charter was first published in December 1994. This is the second edition of the Charter. Since the promulgation of the first edition, the responsibilities the Brisbane Catholic Education Office carried for adult faith education and the Institute of Faith Education have changed with these functions now under the responsibility of the Faith and Life Vicariate of the Archdiocese of Brisbane. Along with changes to educational policy and practices and the change of terminology from Brisbane Catholic Education Centre to the Brisbane Catholic Education Office, this second edition of the Charter updates the responsibilities the Brisbane Catholic Education Office carries for Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Brisbane.
The Charter recognises the Archbishop of Brisbane as the local ordinary and his legal and canonical responsibilities for the operation of Catholic schools. The Archbishop delegates authority to the Brisbane Catholic Education Office for the administration and management of parish and Archdiocesan Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Brisbane. The Charter, while acknowledging the authority of the Archbishop, sets out the responsibilities the Archbishop delegates to the Brisbane Catholic Education Office for the operation of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Brisbane.
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Context
The Archbishop has responsibility for developing policies regarding Catholic education in the Archdiocese, regulating it and watching over it. (Canon 804, §1) To assist him in this task he has established the Catholic Education Council, part of the Archdiocesan Curia, to plan and make recommendations about policies and priorities for Catholic schools.
The Brisbane Catholic Education Office operates as the executive arm of the Archbishop and his Council in the implementation of policies. It operates under the authority of the Executive Director of Catholic Education to whom the Archbishop delegates authority for the administration and management of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese.
The Archbishop delegates authority for the operation of Catholic Schools to the Executive Director, to act for, and on behalf of, the Corporation of the Trustees of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane within Archdiocesan policies and vicariate specific policies.
The Executive Director has the authority to appoint personnel to fulfil the responsibilities outlined in the General Directory for Catechesis (n. 265-267) and the Code of Canon Law (Canons 805-806).
In fulfilling the role, the Executive Director collaborates with the Vicar General whom the Archbishop has appointed to coordinate the administrative affairs of the Archdiocesan Curia. Further, the Executive Director refers matters of policy to the Catholic Education Council for consideration and recommendation to the Archbishop.
The relationship between the Brisbane Catholic Education Office and Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Brisbane respects the principles of subsidiarity and collaboration. This relationship and the level of oversight exercised will be in accord with the canonical authority the Brisbane Catholic Education Office carries for Archdiocesan schools, parish schools and Religious Institute schools.
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The role of the Brisbane Catholic Education Office staff is to lead, serve and support those involved in the mission of Catholic schooling in the Archdiocese. The Archdiocesan Vision of Jesus Communion Mission and the Archdiocesan Vision Statement for Catholic Education provide the framework for the direction of the Brisbane Catholic Education Office. The staff of the Brisbane Catholic Education Office has five main areas of responsibility:
1. Religious Education and Evangelisation
2. Learning and Teaching
3. Administration and Management
4. Leadership
5. Accountability
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1. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND EVANGELISATION
The Brisbane Catholic Education Office provides services, programs and resources to support the initial and ongoing religious education of students in Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Brisbane; the spiritual formation of students and staff and the religious life of the school. This is in accordance with the purposes and directions of the General Directory for Catechesis (n. 265-267) and the Code of Canon Law (Canons 775, 800–806).
Responsibilities include:
1.1 policy and resource development with respect to religious education and the religious life of the Catholic school
1.2 consultancy and the provision of professional learning opportunities to support staff at the school level
1.3 monitoring the religious education programs and the religious life of Catholic schools including Religious Institute schools in the Archdiocese of Brisbane.
1.4 provision of spiritual formation opportunities for all staff
1.5 research and evaluation in the area of religious education.
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2. LEARNING AND TEACHING
The Brisbane Catholic Education Office provides leadership and supports learning and teaching in Catholic schools to ensure that the quality of learning and teaching is of a high standard.
Responsibilities include:
2.1 policy development and leadership on educational matters pertaining to schools
2.2 coordination of responses within the Archdiocese on public educational policy
2.3 liaison with the Queensland Catholic Education Commission and the National Catholic Education Commission on matters pertaining to public educational policy
2.4 the provision of support including consultancy and professional learning activities to enhance learning and teaching in Archdiocesan and parish schools and to improve student learning
2.5 monitoring the quality of learning and teaching in schools
2.6 provision and coordination of counselling and other support services to schools
2.7 monitoring and supervising the provision of educational support services.
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3. ADMINISTRATION & MANAGEMENT
The employer of staff in Archdiocesan and parish schools and the Brisbane Catholic Education Office is the Trustees of the Corporation of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane, whose agent is the Executive Director. The Executive Director is the recognised authority under Commonwealth and State educational legislation.
Further duties relate to financial management of and accountability for government and other school funds, strategic planning for the provision of Catholic schooling in the Archdiocese, negotiation with other partners in resource allocation for Catholic schooling, and assistance to schools with other administrative and human resource services to ensure the delivery of best practice corporate services, compliance and risk management.
Responsibilities include:
3.1 preparing the annual recurrent and capital budgets and appropriately audited financial statements, and reporting to the Archdiocesan community and governments as appropriate
3.2 managing government and other school funds to ensure their administration and use is congruent with the Vision for Catholic Education
3.3 providing processes and support for accounting, reporting and auditing of Archdiocesan school and college funds
3.4 providing policy, consultation and coordination to parish schools with regard to accounting, reporting and auditing of school funds
3.5 enhancing the professional support and pastoral care of staff
3.6 employment of principals, teachers and support staff in schools and staff at Brisbane Catholic Education Office, and the provision of employee and human resource services
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3.7 collecting and analysing data for a range of purposes, including, to inform policy development and review, for the purposes of accountability and for future planning
3.8 coordinating the planning and construction of building projects in schools including the management of capital funding applications to governments
3.9 coordinating communications and marketing activities of schools
3.10 coordinating information and communications technology infrastructure to support schools.
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4. LEADERSHIP
The staff of Brisbane Catholic Education Office, collectively functioning as the executive arm of the Archbishop and his Catholic Education Council, provides leadership across all five areas of responsibility, especially in relationship to the articulation of the Vision Statement for Catholic Education.
An important aspect of this is the leadership provided to Catholic schools conducted by the Archdiocese through formal processes of selection, induction, professional learning, supervision and review of senior management of schools. Management and consultancy services provided to schools support these formal processes.
Responsibilities include:
4.1 developing resources and programs that provide leadership in evangelisation and religious education
4.2 determining senior management structures for schools and managing the employment of personnel in these positions through appropriate selection, induction, performance reviews and self renewal processes in schools
4.3 providing staff support and organisational consultancy
4.4 developing and implementing policies that reflect the mission of the Church
4.5 employing suitably qualified and experienced staff to positions in the Brisbane Catholic Education Office
4.6 providing professional learning opportunities for employees of Brisbane Catholic Education to enhance competency and leadership skills
4.7 providing guidance and direction to schools through coordinated curriculum policy development and implementation.
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5. ACCOUNTABILITY
Management of the accountability processes of Catholic schools conducted by the Archdiocese is a responsibility of staff of the Brisbane Catholic Education Office. The principle of subsidiarity limits the responsibility of these staff to those matters that are not the direct responsibility of parish and school communities. The Executive Director reports formally to the Archbishop on all aspects of the operations of the Education Vicariate.
Accountability occurs in the following ways:
5.1 through the processes of educational and financial accountability to the Church, Australian and Queensland Governments
5.2 through cyclical review processes, validation of quality Catholic education
5.3 through the compliance audit to ensure schools meet all Commonwealth, State and Archdiocesan requirements as part of the five yearly external cyclical review processes
5.4 through monitoring school strategic planning and annual reporting processes
5.5 through the development and monitoring of human resource policies and practices
5.6 through monitoring compliance with Archdiocesan and Catholic Education Council policies
Most Reverend Mark Coleridge DD Archbishop of BrisbaneDate:
Very Rev Dr Adrian Farrelly ChancellorDate:
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CHARTERBrisbane Catholic Education Office
Updated January 2014
