Parents and Friends Association

Parents and Friends Associations (P&Fs) have been part of the Catholic School scene in Queensland for many decades and all Catholic schools in Townsville Diocese have an active association. 

Every parent/carer with a child in a Catholic school is automatically a member of their school's P&F association.

Through their P&F, parents/carers can learn about what is going on in their school and on the education scene more broadly.  They can support their school, its principal and staff by planning and running social events and engaging in fund-raising activities.  Most Parents and Friends Associations meet monthly.

Each school's P&F is the official representative body for parents/carers in communicating, as a body, with the principal, with Townsville Catholic Education Office, with all levels of government.  This official status is recognised by the Bishop and by organisations within the wider community.  Many schools can point to improvements in their life and environment which have been initiated or carried out by the P&F.

A wider field for P&F work is provided by the Diocesan Parents and Friends Association.  Each school may send up to two delegates to the meetings of the Diocesan P&F which occur quarterly.  Attendance by teleconference is available for distant schools.  This is a valuable forum for discussion of matters affecting parents and carers in Catholic schools in a general sense, rather than in their local environment.  The Diocesan P&F hosts the annual Mark Mappas dinner and medal presentation to honour parents/carers whose work for schools has been very noteworthy;  the name commemorates a parent stalwart of Catholic education in the Ingham district.  The P&F also supports Catholic Education Week held in July each year with a P&F Family Fun Day.

At an even broader level, each Queensland diocese sends delegates to regular meetings of the Parents and Friends Federation of Queensland.  Spokespeople for this group are often in conversation with the Queensland Catholic Education Commission and the State Government.  Officers of the Federation are enthusiastic about supporting Diocesan and local P&F's in their work.

The fact that many schools now have Catholic School Boards in no way diminishes the place or the importance of Parents and Friends Associations in the life of schools.  While both groups are there to promote the vigour of the Catholic school community, they do so in different ways.

For further information please contact:

Catholic School Parents Queensland

GPO Box 2410 Brisbane Qld 4001
5th Floor, June Dally-Watkins Centre,
150 Edward St Brisbane Qld 4000
Phone: 07 3905 9730
Fax: 07 3210 0136
E-mail: info@pandf.org.au
Website: www.pandf.org.au