Frequently Asked Questions
What is Edmund Rice Education Australia?
Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) is a Ministerial Public Juridic Person. Its ministry is the operation of a network of schools offering a Catholic education in the tradition of Blessed Edmund Rice. Our schools are in every state and territory of Australia.
How many EREA schools are there?
There are 59 Schools across Australia, known as Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice Tradition. There are also 44 Associate schools of EREA.
Who governs the EREA Schools?
Five EREA Governing Bodies are the proprietors of our schools. These are: EREA Colleges Ltd, EREA Flexible Schools Ltd, EREA NSW Colleges Ltd, EREA Victorian Schools Ltd and St Kevin’s College Ltd.
The parent body for these Governing entities is known as the Trustees of Edmund Rice Education Australia (TEREA).
Who was Edmund Rice?
Edmund Rice lived was born in the late 1700's in Callan, Ireland. Together with a group of young visionaries from Waterford, Ireland, inspired by their Catholic faith, formed by their work with the disenfranchised of their city, and aware of the discrimination that the people of an occupied Ireland faced, made a commitment to act. In 1802, inspired by the work of Nano Nagle and the Presentation Sisters, Edmund Rice and his companions opened a free school for boys in a New Street stable.
Facing many challenges, these courageous educators developed a relevant, relational, and faith filled pathway for young people to rise from demeaning poverty and hopelessness to live a life of dignity and full humanity. Edmund and his companions took vows as a religious community in 1808, forming the Christian Brothers in 1820. Edmund’s deep belief in God’s “providential presence in his life” inspired him to “open his whole heart to Christ present and appealing to him in the poor”.
When was EREA established?
EREA was established by the Christian Brothers in 2007 and has full canonical and civil responsibility for all Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice Tradition.
What guides Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice tradition?
As part of their mission within the Catholic Church and shaped by the charism of Blessed Edmund Rice, schools offer an education guided by the Charter for Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice Tradition and the EREA National Strategic Directions.
Are there schools overseas?
EREA schools are part of an international network of 280 + schools in over 20 countries called Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders.
How do I enrol my child in a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice Tradition?
Please contact your local school for more information about becoming part of the Edmund Rice education community.
I would like to work in an Edmund Rice School. How do I find out about vacancies?
Employment is advertised on local school websites. Offices jobs can be viewed here.
