Catholic demand grows
MORE than half of students from some Geelong suburbs are enrolled in the Catholic education system, as the demand for the sector continues to soar.
Fifty-one per cent of secondary students and 32 per cent of primary students from Geelong West homes were enrolled in a Catholic high school in 2016, Census data shows.
Demand is also strong in Highton, with 48 per cent of all high school-aged students attending a Catholic school.
In Torquay, Catholic education is booming, with 25 per cent of the area’s primary students and 36 per cent of its secondary students enrolled in a Catholic school.
St Therese Catholic Primary School principal Noel Dillon said the school, currently Torquay’s only Catholic primary school, had been at capacity for close to five years.
The 2018 opening of Lisieux Catholic Primary School at Torquay North will alleviate the strain faced by the school and allow it to accept more families.
“Enrolments at St Therese are very healthy,” Mr Dillon said.
“The opening of Lisieux will allow us to reduce our numbers, which is a bonus for us because we will have greater room for growth.”
Mr Dillon said the majority of students were from Catholic families that wanted to send their children to a school with the same faith.
But he said many nonCatholic families were choosing to school their children in the system because of educational values and philosophies.
Catholic Education Mel- bourne executive director Stephen Elder said many other Catholic schools in the Geelong region were at or close to capacity.
“The greater Geelong area is showing some of the greatest growth in demand for Catholic schooling in the state,” Mr Elder said.
“Catholic education aims to provide a quality, affordable and accessible, faith and values based schooling to all those who want it.”
The new St Mary MacKillop Primary School will open in Bannockburn next year, while both Catholic primary and secondary schools are planned in Armstrong Creek.
Catholic Education Melbourne said it would continue to monitor demographic trends and work closely with local councils, planning authorities and the Education Department to provide for new schools and existing school development opportunities.
Catholic education enrolments in Geelong grew 25 per cent from 2006-2015, with a further 23 per cent growth expected to continue to 2025.
In 2016, 27 per cent of all Geelong secondary students were enrolled in a Catholic school, while 24.8 per cent of residents identified as Catholic.