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Queensland

Association of Principals of Catholic Secondary Schools of Queensland (APCSSQ)

The APCSSQ was formed in 1996 to bring together systemic and order-owned Catholic colleges to discuss issues of common concern and to present a united view to the education community.

It is one of the four groups making up the Association of Catholic Secondary Schools of Queensland [ACSSQ] - the others being:

• The Deputy/Assistant Principals - Administration
• The Assistant Principals - Religious Education, and
• The College Counsellors.

The ACSSQ has direct links with the Qld Catholic Education Commission and meets four times a year. Each of the sub groups has at least one representative on the ACSSQ Executive Committee. The Director of QCEC is also a member and attends all meetings.

The APCSSQ has over 80 member schools in the five dioceses of Queensland - Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and the Brisbane Archdiocese.

The Aims of the Association are guided fundamentally by the desire to enhance and promote the Principalship as a position of leadership, responsibility and significance in Catholic Education, in the wider education circles and in the community generally. The stated Aims include:

• To promote the interests of Catholic education in the state of Queensland.
• To provide a structure in which Principals may lend support to members in their work. To this end it is a forum for sharing the problems and concerns which are part of the Principal’s role, and also for exchanging ideas on education and management which will be of benefit to the members.
• To conduct meetings and conferences for its members.
• To encourage professional development of members.
• To gain representation on policy making bodies which impact on education.
• To be proactive and reactive to changing educational philosophies and processes.
• To foster the dissemination of information and opinion on educational issues.
• To serve when requested as a consultative body to the Bishops of Queensland, Catholic Education authorities, and other state or national education bodies.
• To maintain close contact with its counterparts in the State and Independent school sectors seeking discussion with these bodies on critical issues affecting education in Queensland.

The APCSSQ meets on a face to face basis at the State or National Conference. The Annual General Meeting is also held at that time. All members are invited to attend and participate in the discussions.

The APCSSQ organises a State Conference every second year alternating with the APCSSA National Conference. Each diocese takes its turn to organise the Conference. Hence the usual procedure is in Year1 the National Conference, Year 2 Brisbane, Year 3 National, Year 4 another diocese [in 2003 Rockhampton will host the APCSSQ on Lindemann Island] and from Year 5 the cycle is repeated.

The APCSSQ Executive is made up of the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer and a Principal representing each of the five dioceses. The Executive meets at the Conference and has a face to face meeting in November. The other three meetings for the year are by teleconference.

Currently the members of the Executive are: