Catholic School Parents Australia (CSPA) sincerely thanks the 6,286 Australian Catholic school parents and carers who completed the survey on student wellbeing and learning.  An additional 705 completed part of the survey.  The number of survey completions is way above the initial target and the quality of responses to the optional survey items provides rich evidence to inform reporting.  The survey data have been cleaned of any privacy details and the analysis of this substantial bank of evidence is underway in preparation for reporting to the federal government and the Catholic education community.

Parent/carer forums were also offered to approximately 1200 parents/carers who completed surveys and volunteered their contact details for further comment.  This resulted in thirty-four parent/carer forums being offered and subsequently twenty-one forums being conducted.  The types of forums offered to parents/carers in separate primary and secondary groupings included families who:  had a child with disability; were a First Nations family; were an English second language family; had a child in a remote school; had a child in a rural school; had a child in a school majorly impacted by COVID in 2022; had a child in boarding school; or a child in a school anywhere in Australia – to cater for those who wished to participate and did not fit into the aforementioned groups.  Because of time differences, three additional forums were offered to Western Australia parents/carers.  CSPA sincerely thanks those parents/carers who, as well as completing a survey, also contributed through a forum.

CSPA has partnered with the (Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth) ARACY for every step of the evidence gathering process and this continues for the analysis and subsequent writing of the major report.  In addition to the work with ARACY, separate reports will also be prepared for each diocese across Australia.  It is noted that these reports will be particularly rich in detail in the Archdiocese of Perth and the Diocese of Cairns which had 966 and 907 survey completions respectively.  Reports will be disseminated through CSPA members, Catholic Education Directors and the Religious Institute and Ministerial PJP School Authorities Australia.  The national report will be posted on the CSPA website.

CSPA would also like to thank Catholic education directors, school principals, parent bodies and national agencies such as NCEC and the principal associations for assisting in disseminating the survey information to parents/carers.  Thanks to members of CSPA who assisted with the development of the survey and its dissemination to parents via social media, and special thanks to those CSPA members who have majorly contributed to the conducting of the forums.  Special mention to Sarah Rose (Catholic School Parents Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn) who set up the forum selection process as well as facilitating a number of forums.

A national report will be available later in 2022 and diocesan reports by early 2023.  CSPA acknowledges the Australian Government for the funding provided to complete this work.