In 2024, nearly 82,000 students were enrolled in a Catholic school, and in 2025 our newest school, St Marcellin Catholic College, will open in Madora Bay. Our school communities are a melting pot of cultures, with families representing 158 home languages and where First Nations students make up 4.7% of our total enrolments.
We are privileged to serve so many Western Australian families, including those in parts of the Kimberley where Catholic schools are the sole provider. And our enduring partnership with State Government is vital to ensuring all schools can better support the State’s growing student population.
We call on all political parties to put children first and acknowledge the contribution Catholic schools make to communities across Western Australia by ensuring a fairer funding deal for our students.
Mr Wayne Bull
Executive Director
Catholic Education WA
Hear from our Parents
Parents know their children better than anyone, and so it is important that they continue to have the opportunity to choose the school which best meets their children’s needs.
When a school enrols a child, they also in effect enrol their family. Catholic schools provide a strong sense of community, welcoming and accompanying families on their children’s education journey. They also provide diverse opportunities for parents to engage in a positive way in their children’s learning leading to improved outcomes for all.
Each parent, regardless of the school they choose, contributes to education in WA through their taxes –however parents in Catholic schools make an additional contribution through the payment of school fees.
We hope that all political parties take into account the significant contribution that parents in Catholic schools make, when forming their policy decisions. We encourage them to ensure that your family and your child, regardless of the school they attend, receives a fair funding deal which addresses not just tuition costs but also assistance for the capital development and maintenance of our schools.
Siobhan Allen
Executive Director
Catholic School Parents
Western Australia Inc
Hear from our Principals
Our principals serve a wide variety of communities: from the Kimberley in the north to Albany in the south; from Fremantle in the west to Kalgoorlie in the east.
The schools we lead range from isolated, composite schools with fewer than 10 secondary students to large, metropolitan schools with enrolments of over 1500.
As leaders of these schools, our Principals are dedicated to creating vibrant communities of faith and fostering the potential of teachers and support staff to create a brighter future for all students in their care.
To ensure our Principals can continue to lead thriving school communities and meet the growing demand for a Catholic education, we need political parties to commit to a fair funding model for all students, regardless of the schools they attend.
Chris Wallace
President
Catholic Secondary School Principals Association
Andrew Colley
President
Catholic Primary School Principals Association