‘A really positive contribution’: study reveals lifelong benefits of Catholic education

A new research study using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey has found that Catholic school education provides lasting benefits in employment, health, and life satisfaction. These findings reflect the experience of two Melburnians whose very different career paths have the common base of Catholic education.

The Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA) commissioned public policy experts at the Centre for International Research on Education Systems at Victoria University to compare post-school outcomes of people from the public, Catholic and independent school systems. The researchers focused on labour market, health and wellbeing, and community participation.

The HILDA survey data they drew from is a long-term study of around 17,000 Australians from across the nation and from all backgrounds. The study has been following the same participants since 2001 and aims to continue for the course of their lives. It provides greater depth of insights about Australians via that representative sample than can be gained from census data, and health, education and social services use it to make or improve their policies.

There’s a strong focus within Catholic education of holistic formation of the human person.

The VCEA study revealed that people who attended Catholic schools earn higher wages on average compared with government school attendees and are more likely to be employed. Beyond financial metrics, the study also found Catholic school graduates are more likely to work in industries that directly benefit the public.

VCEA chief executive officer Prof Elizabeth Labone says that the research ‘quantifies what people in our sector know intuitively, that Catholic schools do a great job preparing students for life’. She emphasised that Catholic education’s holistic approach supports the development of ‘well-rounded individuals who will succeed and be happy and confident in the world during and after their schooling.’

Artist James Murnane supports this claim. In addition to his creative career, he has also spent 12 years in disability support, working with adults with acquired brain injuries. He describes this work as ‘the privilege of being able to walk alongside and to assist people in their day-to-day lives’.

He attended St Clare’s Primary School in Box Hill North and Whitefriars College for his secondary education. ‘The richness of the faith life of St Clare’s really set a grounding for my faith life as an adult,’ James says. He credits his high-school art teacher with encouraging him to pursue a career as a professional artist—she remains a mentor more than two decades after graduation.

‘There’s a strong focus within Catholic education of holistic formation of the human person—spiritual, psychological and [physical],’ he says. He describes it as ‘that beautiful marriage of the active and contemplative life’.

Audiologist Ewa Ng, who went to Sacred Heart Regional Girls College in Oakleigh, says Catholic education instilled crucial values that shaped her life.

‘A Catholic education has helped me professionally, insofar as going to a Catholic school instilled discipline,’ she says. ‘While we were certainly beautifully guided by the teachers, it did instil a self-belief and also self-discipline.’

Ewa describes her school environment as ‘extremely strict’ compared to public schools, which taught her to take responsibility for her own actions, but also set her on a path of academic achievement.

Understanding that you’re a citizen of the world and using your talents ... for the betterment of society.

The VCEA study indicates Catholic school attendance correlates with higher personal health scores and improved life satisfaction—benefits that extend well beyond scholastic success. These findings remained statistically significant even after adjusting for individual and family characteristics, the VCEA says.

Ewa believes her Catholic education fostered a sense of social responsibility, supporting the study’s finding that Catholic school graduates are more likely to choose careers benefiting society.

‘[There’s] an understanding that you’re a citizen of the world and using your talents not only to make a living, which we all have to do, but also for the betterment of society,’ she says. ‘So, it’s not just a focus on yourself and what you can do. Definitely I think the Catholic education helped there.’

This outlook has influenced Ewa’s professional choices and volunteer work. Following the Black Saturday bushfires, she volunteered to help people who had lost their hearing aids. She also works with Indigenous communities, addressing childhood hearing issues that can affect their education.

‘Coming from the Catholic sphere, there was a sense of the disparity between the health outcomes of First Nations and non-First Nations Australians,’ Ewa says. ‘It’s my responsibility to use my talents as much as possible to help them.’

For James, the value of his Catholic education is how it shaped his understanding of success and purpose. While he initially pursued status through his art career, his Catholic formation led him to redefine what constitutes true success.

A life of truest worth is one where I am able to make a gift of myself.

‘What my faith life has afforded me is a sense that true success is living a life of love, living a life of being able to seek the good of others, and being open enough for people to seek good for me as well.’

‘Both Catholic education as well as my overall faith formation has afforded me [the understanding] that a life of truest worth is one where I am able to make a gift of myself,’ James says. ‘The gifting of myself is far more precious than this rabid attempt to accumulate things.’

Ewa says the values taught at her Catholic school reinforced those she learnt at home. Her parents, particularly her father, who came to Australia as a refugee, ‘instilled in us that ... while my parents provided us with everything we need to be quite successful, we’re also taught to appreciate what we’ve got and to help others around us.’

She adds that Catholic education ‘strengthens one’s own faith when you’ve gotten that foundation at the school.’

According to VCEA, Catholic education continues to attract families seeking more for their children’s education. Currently, one in five Victorian students attends one of the state’s 495 Catholic schools.

CEO ProfLabone attributes this interest to parents seeking a ‘kind of holistic approach’ while also wanting an affordable private schooling for their children. She says the results of the study affirm parents’ choice of Catholic education.

‘It’s an education that’s underpinned by faith development [which] drives academic excellence.’ Teachers and principals strive to set their students up for life, ensuring ‘they grow up to make a really positive contribution to our society.’