Partnership key to affordable and accessible education

A strong partnership between the Queensland Government and Catholic schools is fundamental to keeping faith-based education affordable and accessible for Queensland families, Catholic Education Queensland Limited (CEQL) Board Chair Madeline Brennan KC has told elected representatives at a parliamentary reception in Brisbane. 

Held at Premier’s Hall in Parliament House on 24 March 2026, the reception brought together more than 140 Members of Parliament, church leaders, diocesan directors of Catholic education and principals from across Queensland to connect and discuss the future of Catholic education in the state. 

“We believe it is a partnership that benefits all,” Ms Brennan said. “With the support of successive governments, we have been able to fund new schools in growing communities, refurbish schools with long traditions of serving their families, and maintain the kind of genuine choice that makes Catholic education available to all who seek it. To continue to do this, we need not just government’s ongoing commitment but also increased financial support.”

Minister for Education and the Arts John-Paul Langbroek and Brisbane Archbishop Shane Mackinlay also addressed the gathering, with both reinforcing the importance of the partnership between government and the Catholic education sector.

Ms Brennan noted that Catholic education could not continue without government support for school choice and ongoing funding to keep Catholic schools affordable and accessible for the families who choose them.  

That investment, she said, was ultimately in service of something bigger, reminding guests that schools exist to equip young people not just for the next chapter of their lives but with a genuine sense of social justice and compassion, inspired to contribute to their communities and build a better future for all. 

CEQL CEO Allan Blagaich echoed the sentiment, telling guests that the partnership between Catholic schools and government ensures families throughout Queensland have genuine educational choice and that every child has the opportunity to flourish. 

“Together, we can ensure that Queensland’s education system remains responsive to the diverse needs of all communities,” Mr Blagaich said. 

With the help of the Queensland Government, the sector has funded new Catholic schools at Yarrabilba and Flagstone in the south-east, Shaw in Townsville and Mount Peter in Cairns. Older schools with long traditions of serving their communities are also being refurbished and renewed.