EREA VSL Governance Statement

St Joseph’s College is governed by Edmund Rice Education Australia Victorian Schools Limited (EREA VSL) and offers a Catholic education in the tradition of Blessed Edmund Rice.

EREA VSL commenced as proprietor for 6 Victorian schools on 1 January 2024. Enrolling over 7000 students, EREA VSL is responsible for the governance of schools. EREA VSL is guided by the EREA Charter for Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice Tradition. The Charter articulates the vision, mission, and objectives for schools. Through the Touchstones, the Charter speaks to the values, aspirations, and beliefs that schools strive to offer including a liberating education, based on a gospel spirituality, within an inclusive community committed to justice and solidarity.

Consistent with the EREA Charter, EREA VSL supports and promotes the principles and practices of Australian democracy in its operations and in the operations of the schools including a commitment to elected government; the rule of law; equal rights for all before the law; freedom of religion; freedom of speech and association; and the values of openness and tolerance.

Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) was established by the Christian Brothers as a public juridic body to ensure the continuation of the Charism of Blessed Edmund Rice in the educational mission of the Catholic Church, especially through the schools governed and conducted in the Edmund Rice tradition. It was constituted, in accordance with the norms of canon law, as a public juridic person within the Catholic Church on 20 September 2012 on approval by the Holy See. It carries on its mission in the name of the Church ensuring that all schools and other apostolic activities are conducted in conformity with the beliefs, teachings, and laws of the Church.

EREA, for the purposes of recognition in civil law, established a body corporate known as the Trustees of Edmund Rice Education Australia (TEREA) incorporated pursuant to the provisions of the Roman Catholic Church Communities Lands Act 1942 (NSW). TEREA is the sole member of VSL. Further information on Edmund Rice Education Australia can be found at http://www.erea.edu.au/.

EREA VSL was registered on 2 June 2022 (Australian Business Number: 90 659 880 985) with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), is a not-for-profit public company limited by guarantee and is a charity registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC). EREA VSL has been incorporated under, and is subject to, the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), as amended from time to time.

Our Vision

As a Catholic school we aspire to form students’ hearts and minds to act with integrity and compassion within a learning culture that is engaging, rigorous, inclusive and innovative and within which each student is challenged to achieve excellence.

Our Mission

We will foster an engaged, inclusive and respectful learning community inspired by the story of Edmund Rice and based on Gospel values where students are encouraged to ‘strive for the highest’ aspiring to excellence in academic, spiritual, cultural and personal endeavours. We aim to equip students to be globally connected citizens committed to personal excellence, enriching the wider community and standing in solidarity with the marginalised.

Our Commitment

St Joseph’s College is committed to child safety and the care, safety and wellbeing of students are embedded in our policies and practices. All staff will work in accord with child safe practices and child protection reporting guidelines. The participation and empowerment of all young people is a consideration in decision-making, as we seek to provide a safe and nurturing environment where young people are respected and listened to.

The Four EREA Touchstones

The Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) Touchstones challenge the St Joseph’s College community to strive for authenticity as a member of Edmund Rice Communities. The Touchstones can be represented by two different types of symbolic icons, the Indigenous designs were created by Vicki Clark OAM who is a proud Mutthi Mutthi, Wemba Wamba woman and Edmund Rice Education Australia board member. A touchstone is a fundamental or quintessential feature. In earlier times a touchstone was used to judge the purity of precious metals. A streak left on the touchstone was compared with a streak made by the pure metal. Hence authenticity was verified.