Celebrating 180 years in South Australia, Catholic education continues to provide a nurturing environment for tomorrow’s leaders

Growing across the state since their inception, Catholic schools remain at the heart of the community. They are places where children and families can come together, support each other, and experience an education that is about gaining knowledge as much as it is about developing faith in God and each other.

For Dr Neil McGoran, executive director of Catholic Education South Australia (CESA), the message of hope and inspiration through focused education is getting through and the future is looking brighter than ever.

“These are interesting times for us,” he explains.

“We’ve had our highest number of enrolments ever. We are likely to exceed 56,000 students by the August census and we have been increasing by about 2,000 students a year for the last few years.”

But while the numbers continue to grow, there has always been a delicate balancing act of providing quality education to an increasing number of children.

“The Archbishop describes our schools as places where we nurture and develop saints and scholars and it’s a nice way to see it,” Dr McGoran says.

“If you think about this from a parent’s point of view, when you look at which school you might send your child to, you have all these ideas and you also have a goal in mind – for your child to complete their journey to the end of school, and to experience an education that builds within the person a sense of ‘your best self’ while also encouraging the best in others. This is the kind of community that we aim to build.”

Reaching another milestone this year with the announcement of a new school in the northern Adelaide suburb of Riverlea Park, CESA is putting words into action by continuing to grow in South Australia and instilling this sense of community more broadly.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to say that there is a Catholic school at the heart of Riverlea Park, and through that Catholic school, there is a strong feeling of community,” he says.

“The new school at Riverlea Park helps that and we’ve had other expansions in recent times. We’ve really committed ourselves to all our schools and to investing in the infrastructure and the way schools look. 180 years ago the school could have been the church or a hall, but in 2025 the school must look magnificent and become a hub of activity and hope.”

Dr McGoran says that throughout its history, CESA is becoming better equipped to deliver not only what parents want for their children but problem solve for those experiencing financial hardship. They are also delivering better outcomes for children who may require specialist intervention.

“We have learned what works and doesn’t work, but we have remained absolutely committed to the purpose of a Catholic education – that it is an expression of the Church mission, accessible to anybody, and committed to forming the whole person: mind, heart, and soul,” he says.

“Which means, amongst other aspects, we make enormous remissions of fees for families who need financial assistance. We also have a scholarship scheme that’s available to children under the care of the Chief Executive of the Department for Child Protection.

“Our investment across all schools is designed to support learning and different types of learners. We’ve invested in a curriculum framework that includes allied health professionals being available.

“We know some children need more time than others, so they can be developmentally ready for their next phase of learning, so we’ve invested in that too. The earlier that you can support children in their learning and language acquisition, for instance, the better it is for them in their capacity to keep learning.”

It is this investment and progressive model of schooling that is helping break down barriers that may have in the past affected a parent’s decision making around Catholic schooling.

“One of the things that I’ve been thinking about is some parents might say, ‘but we’re not Catholic and our children aren’t Catholic’,” he explains.

“Importantly, Catholic schools are more than educational institutions – they must be communities of encounter, accompaniment, and formation. All children and young people are welcome – and all are invited to build their relationships with God, with their best selves, and with other people.”

Dr McGoran says that, in the last five years, community—particularly in schooling—has become paramount. Largely due to the unintended consequences of COVID, Dr McGoran says some children in schools were worried, along with parents who were anxious about what was going on in the world and what the impacts might be for them.

“We made it through that.”

“I think we realised how important it is to be together in community,” he says.

“I think that was a real lesson that came out of that. Now that it’s five years down the track, children have the right to feel safe and they can go to school and can come home at the end of the day to a loving home. Parents can also feel safe knowing their children are surrounded by committed people, with the right tools, to nurture their growth in the community.”

Dr McGoran remains excited for the future ahead of another busy intake in 2026, knowing that the complex task of choosing a school for our children is becoming easier through CESA’s dedication to faith, excellence, and community.

“This is the most amazing job I’ve ever had because I get to work with inspiring people. We have terrific principals and staff who are capable of achieving enormous things.

“I know that, through their work and passion, the next generation of students are in the safest of hands.”

Extract from South Australian Catholic Schools Magazine 2025/26
Words Sam Kelton | Photography Naomi Jellicoe