Religious Institutes and Catholic Education diocesan collaboration

Over many years, the Religious Institutes involved in Catholic Education in Victoria have collaborated and consulted with the various diocesan Catholic Education Offices.  Congregational Leaders met with Fr Frank Martin and Fr Tom Doyle (Catholic Education Directors) on a regular basis for many years. 

Religious Institutes were involved in the development of the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV) in 1973. This led to the creation of two positions at the Catholic Education Office of Melbourne for major superiors’ representatives to work on issues related to CECV.  When it was formed its membership included a representative of the Major Superiors of Women and one for the Major Superiors of Men.

Much of the initiative for forming the CECV was around having a united, high level voice in speaking with government, especially the Commonwealth, as it was the beginning of recurrent grant funding the first of which was given in 1972.  Prior to that there had been grants for the building of science rooms only.

The early 1970s was a significant period of change in Catholic Education. There was the Tannock Report which paved the way for the development of Commonwealth recurrent funding for the non-government schools.  Regional Catholic Secondary Schools were developed and many small secondary schools, especially in country areas, closed or amalgamated as Religious Congregations reassessed their priorities.  It was also the time of the establishment of a union for Catholic Schools.

Because of the strong involvement of Catholic Leaders Religious Congregations Victoria (CLRV) at the upper level of Catholic education through the CECV, the Religious Institutes were well aware of the needs of secondary schools and the pressures on the newly established regional colleges and the demands for new schools in the Melbourne area. It was because of this that the religious soon came up with the suggestion of the formation of a Grants Allocation Committee Secondary, whereby all the Catholic secondary schools, with some exceptions, would form a system for purpose of Commonwealth grants. This meant that the instead of individual schools having a category which determined the level of Commonwealth funding ranging from Category 1 to Category 6, the system was categorised at Level 6, which attracted the highest level of grant. The condition for the congregations agreeing to this was that the reallocation of the grant money across schools would be overseen by the GAC which was predominately principals representing congregation schools, country dioceses, regional schools and chaired by a CECV person and serviced by the CEO.  A key from the beginning of the GAC was the provision of interest subsidy which was seen as a very tangible way of assisting the regional schools that were drowning in debt while waiting for their numbers to grow. The financial contribution from the congregation schools was very significant as many of these schools did not receive any additional financial benefit from being part of the system but brought considerable funds into the system. In fact, in the first year when the formula was applied, both Genazzano and Mandeville received less than Category 1 funding which they graciously accepted. The following year there was an adjustment so they received at least level 1 funding. 

After some years of growth, the teachers’ union, initially one for primary and one for secondary, sought to have a conciliation and arbitration board to determine their salaries and conditions. The way in which these operated involved equal numbers of employee and employer representatives with an independent chair. The employee representatives were nominated by the union. To obtain the employer representatives we had to form an employers’ association.  A constitution was developed and this was approved by the CECV and a meeting held of all employers, parish priests and religious congregation leaders that agreed to form the VCSA.  A committee was formed that consisted of representatives of major superiors (men and women), parish priests (Melbourne and country diocese) and canonical administrators of regional schools and a representative of the CECV. The VCSA then nominated three representatives to the two Conciliation and Arbitration Boards. There were no CEO personnel on these boards.

Midway through 2006, in response to issues relating to the structure of the Catholic Education Commission Victoria (CECV) and the management of industrial relations, the Catholic Leaders Religious Congregations Victoria (later Catholic Religious Victoria) established a Schools’ Committee.  This was a structure to enable the Leaders of Congregations that owned and governed schools in Victoria to have dialogue between the Congregations and act as a vehicle for consultation with both the CECV and the various Catholic Education Offices. 

All Congregations administering schools were invited to name a representative to be a member of this committee.  Thirteen Congregations responded; one person was nominated to represent three congregations.   A group of ten formed the committee.

Initial Committee

Chairperson: Sr Brigid Arthur (Brigidines),           

Secretaries: Sr Julianna Drobik OP (Dominicans, Loreto, FCJ), Sr Joan Wilson (Mercy Sisters)

Members: Bro Clem Barrett (Christian Brothers), Lois Bunn (Good Samaritans), Sr Julianna Drobik, Sr Maria Lazzaro (Presentation Sisters), Margaret Beirne (Sisters of Charity), Bernard Neal (Substitute for Denis Uhr, MSC’s), Fr John Prest (Salesians), Sr Helen Reed  (Sisters of St Joseph), Tom Smyth  (Marist Brothers, substitute for Bro John McMahon),  Sr. Dorothy Renton (Sion Sisters)

The Catholic Religious Victoria Education Committee Charter

The main objects of the Committee:

To act as the representative body for the Congregations involved in education in Victoria.   

To raise issues related to the place of Congregations within the overall provision of Catholic education in Victoria. 

The terms of reference:

i)               To be a means of communication between the various education authorities and the CRV:

ii)              To appoint and consult with representatives on the following groups

o   Targeted Programs

o   VRQA Review Committee

o   GAC (Secondary)

o   Salaries and Conditions Board

o   CECV Equity Challenge Committee

o   Capital Grants

o   Governance Network Meeting

o   Enrolment Committee

o   OHS Committee

o   Employer Reference Group.      

iii)             To provide lines of communication with the CRA Education Committee

iv)             To act as a forum for the debate of issues related to Catholic education

v)              To act as a point of referral of issues related to the future governance of Congregational schools

vi)             To liaise with Principals of Congregational schools

The first Executive Officer (Michael Doyle) was appointed in 2012 with the second (Bernard Dobson) being appointed in 2015.  Audrey Brown has been appointed to this position from July 2020.

CRMV Ltd

The membership of  the Catholic Religious Victoria Education Committee changed as many Religious Institutes handed over governance responsibilities for their schools to Public Juridic Persons.  [A Public Juridic Person (PJP) is a legal entity under Canon Law that allows various Church ministries to function in the name of the Catholic Church.]

In 2018, Catholic Religious Australia determined to discontinue State Branches from July 2019.  This meant that the auspicing body for the CRVEd Committee would no longer exist.  After considerable deliberation, the members determined to for a Company limited by guarantee to represent their interests.

On May 31 2021 the company was registered as a not for profit company limited by guarantee.  Its name is CRMV Ltd.

The 19 Members of the Company in July 2023 are the Antonine Sisters Victoria Property Association Inc, Dominican Education Australia, Trustees of Edmund Rice Education Australia, The Carmelite Fathers Incorporated (Vic), Good Samaritan Education, Mercy Ministry Companions, Jesuit Education Australia Ltd, Trustees of Kildare Ministries, Loreto Ministries Ltd, Mary Aikenhead Education Ltd, The Corporation of the Society of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Salesian Society (Vic) Incorporated, Our Lady of Sion College Company, Faithful Companions of Jesus Education Australia, Sophia Education Ministries, Trustees of De La Salle Brothers, Marist Schools Australia Limited, Trustees of the Marist Brothers (in partnership with the Bishop of Sale) and the Trustees of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.  They are responsible for 47 Catholic schools in Victoria.

The Board of Directors are appointed by the Members.  The Directors are Peter Kelly (Chair), Erica Pegorer (Deputy Chair), Julianna Drobik OP and Mary Fitz-Gerald.

The Board has established an Education committee made up of representatives of the Members of the company.  It has also supported the continuation of a Governance Network group to facilitate discussion on school governance issues and the formation of Trustees, Stewards, Boards and senior staff in schools through the Formation Network.