The Christian Brothers have ministered in Catholic Schools across Australia for more than a century. However over the last two decades, the sharing of responsibility has evolved through the appointment of lay Headmasters and the devolution of appropriate authority to School Boards. Responsibility for school governance has thus progressively come to be vested in the Christian Brothers’ Province Leader, the Headmaster and the School Board.

Recently, the Brothers decided to take several new steps to both invigorate their missions and further empower lay people to become involved in the future work of the Christian Brothers.

First, they amalgamated their provinces in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea to form the Oceania Province to focus on the Christian Brothers’ social justice mission. As well, they established a new body called Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) to independently implement the Christian Brothers’ educational mission.

EREA, an integral part of the Edmund Rice Network, the Catholic Church in Australia and its associated Catholic Education Commissions and Offices throughout Australia, comprises the following structure:

• A Council with responsibility for the governance of schools on behalf of the Christian Brothers and for ensuring the continuance of the charism of Blessed Edmund Rice in school ministry as Church Mission.
• A Board with responsibility for management/ administration of the school and educational entity system.
• An Executive staff team with responsibility for implementing management of the school and educational entity system in regular communication with school leadership teams.
  
  
  

The establishment of the Oceania Province and EREA on 1st October 2007 signals a time of significant change. Much work has been undertaken, and will continue, to ensure that EREA remains authentic to the Brother’s intention and that Rostrevor College, under the leadership of its Headmaster and Board, will continue to evolve as a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice tradition.

Made up of Catholic and other Christian members of the wider Rostrevor community, parents and the Headmaster, the Rostrevor College Board seeks to protect, promote and progress the distinctively Catholic character of the College and preserve the ethos of Christian Brother service and dedication to the education of young boys and men.

When finalised, the work and operations of the Rostrevor College Board will be undertaken in accordance with the EREA governance document entitled “Design for EREA School and Educational Entity Boards”.