Scholarship helps to upskill teachers in religious education

22 Nov 2020

By Contributor

Recipients of KSC Education Foundation Scholarships in 2017, pictured with CEWA Executive Director Dr Debra Sayce.
Recipients of KSC Education Foundation Scholarships in 2017, pictured with CEWA Executive Director Dr Debra Sayce, from second left: Cora D’Souza, Vincent Restifo, Dee O’Connor, Vicki Buchanan, Mark Cummins, Vlad Alonzo, Gemma Thomson and Georgie O’Brien. Photos: The Record.

Courtesy Catholic Education Western Australia

In 1990, Archbishop Foley appealed to the members of the Order of the Knights of the Southern Cross in Western Australia to help in up-skilling the laity to meet the urgent and growing need to provide qualified teachers of Religious Education in the Catholic school system.

The response from the Order was to establish the KSC Education Foundation Inc to provide scholarships to those teachers who were endeavouring to enhance their knowledge and skills in Religious Education through further study at the University of Notre Dame Australia in Fremantle.

A Trust was established and fundraising initiatives were undertaken, with Mr Frank Waldron providing the initial finance through a bequest to establish the Foundation’s scholarship program. Many of the other donors have been, or still are members of the Order.

The Foundation’s scholarship program started out small, but over 25 years, it has grown along with the Foundation’s capital base, having now provided scholarships to approximately 900 teachers with a total value of more than $2million.

LEFT TO RIGHT Former KSC Education Foundation Trust board member Alfredo Giacomo Cicci and Chairman of KSC Education Foundation Trust Wojciech Grzech. University of Notre Dame Australia Dean of Education Professor Michael O’Neill, Order of the Knights of the Southern Cross former State Chairman John Dwyer and 2016 scholarship recipient Rodney Dowling. Photos: Supplied KSCWA State Chairman Nigel Hayward (right) congratulates Mercy College Religious Education teacher Vincent Restifo on the receipt of his KSC Education Foundation scholarship in 2017.

The value of scholarships granted for the 2020 academic year was close to $150,000 and the amount allocated for the 2021 Academic Year will be at a similar level. Scholarships are for one Course unit which equates to just under $3,000, and the Trustees of the Foundation hope to award at least 50 scholarships again this year for 2021.

The Trustees of the Foundation gratefully acknowledge that all this would not have been achieved without the financial support of many members of the Knights of the Southern Cross, some members of the general public, operational support from the Knights of the Southern Cross administration team, and the cooperation and involvement of a number of individuals and departments at the University of Notre Dame Australia and Catholic Education Western Australia.

Last but not least the Trustees wish to acknowledge, on behalf of all the above, the teachers who carry the teachings of Jesus Christ into classrooms throughout Western Australia – thank you.

From page 19 of Issue 27: Community of The Record Magazine