16 May 2022
A re-elected Morrison Government’s commitment to provide more than $20 million to expand the
Sporting Schools Program to Year 9 and 10 secondary students has been welcomed by Catholic
education.
National Catholic Education executive director Jacinta Collins said the program would focus on
secondary students increasing their physical activity, improving their overall health and wellbeing,
and help young people to develop a strong sporting ethos.
“The school sporting program highlights the importance of sport for young people with Catholic
education already implementing their existing grants in many of our schools across Australia,” Ms
Collins said.
“Over 83 per cent of all schools, including many Catholic schools, were successful in obtaining
grants under the program for the 2020-21 round which was available to primary schools and Year
7 and 8 students in secondary schools. This included many regional and remote schools.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Saturday pledged the additional funding for the Sporting
Schools program which would see it expanded to include up to 700,000 students if his
government was re-elected.
Some of the Catholic schools that received grants in 2020-21 included: Gilroy Catholic College
($9,100) and Holy Cross Catholic Primary School ($13,390) in New South Wales; Emmaus
Catholic Primary School, Victoria ($5,335), St Cuthbert’s Catholic School in Tasmania ($8,250);
St Mary Mackillop College in Western Australia ($13,200); St Thomas Aquinas Primary School in
the ACT ($8,030); Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School in the Northern Territory ($10,700), Holy
Family Catholic School, Parafield Gardens, South Australia ($9,350), and St Teresa’s Catholic
College, Noosaville, Queensland ($9,100).
NCEC is the peak body for Catholic Education in Australia and is responsible for the national
coordination and representation of Catholic schools and school authorities.
Nationally, there are 1,755 Catholic schools educating more than 785,000 students – or one in
five Australian students and employing over 102,000 staff.
