The Queensland Catholic Education Commission (QCEC) is a 16 member body established by the Bishops of Queensland.
The Commission exercises certain state-wide responsibilities in respect of schools that are administered by five autonomous Catholic education authorities in each diocese (region). Direct responsibility of setting policy in each diocese resides with an education council or board. A director of Catholic education implements that policy and administers schools on behalf of the diocesan authority (the Bishop).
In addition, the Commission has identical responsibilities towards a number of Catholic schools which exist independently of these diocesan authorities. These Religious Institute schools, as they are generally known, are owned and administered by various institutes/orders of religious sisters, brothers and priests.
The role of the Commission is essentially strategic and it has as its principal goal the greater co-ordination and advancement of Catholic education in Queensland, with due regards for the autonomy of the dioceses and the Religious Institutes.
The Bishops and the Congregational Leaders of Religious Institutes in Queensland have delegated the following functions to QCEC:
- Authority and prime responsibility for state-wide policy making and for action in the areas of funding, advocacy with governments and other peak bodies at state and national levels, research and collection of statistical data, industrial relations with respect to facilitating collaboration between employing authorities in Catholic education.
- Authority and collaborative responsibility to work with others in policy making and action in the following areas (for which other educational authorities have prime responsibility): review, curriculum, religious education outside Catholic school, liaison with education for ministry and social justice matters.