The Australian Association of Christian Schools (AACS) provides advocacy support on behalf of Christian Schools to government at a federal, state and territory level.
AACS has Christian school members located in every state and territory across Australia. Click on the links below to see our group and individual member schools:
The Christian school movement and its education philosophy is currently one of the fastest growing in the independent school sector in Australia. All our schools are unified in the same desire to see Christian education flourish and be accessible to Australian families. AACS represents over a hundred schools across all states and territories with student enrolments over 44,000.
The last fifty years has seen a rapid increase in both the number of Christian schools and the proportion of children attending them. Schools operating under the name "Christian schools" were established by Protestant Churches and groups of like-minded parents so that children could access a quality education delivered from a Christian worldview at affordable rates. With the growth of such schools early on, it was important to establish an advocacy body that could interact between government and schools.
The Australian Association of Christian Schools (AACS) was formed in 1985 as a national association of schools with two founding group members: Christian Community Schools (CCS) and Christian Parent Controlled Schools (CPCS). Individual Christian schools and other national groups of Christian schools were also invited to join. In 1989, an Executive Officer was appointed and a National Office was established in Canberra. Following development of the Association's Constitution in 1990, AACS became an incorporated body, registered in the ACT and governed by a duly appointed and elected Council.
Today, AACS is registered as a charitable public company limited by guarantee and employs a full-time Executive Officer and a part time Administration and Communications Officer. Our membership has expanded to include Christian Education National; the St Philips group; Christian Community Ministries; the Pacific Hills group of schools and a number of individual school members from across the country.
New member schools are very welcome to enquire about membership options at: enquiries@aacs.net.au
Dr Simon Herd
Board Chair
Independant Schools Representative
Executive Principal, Hunter Christian School
John Metcalfe
Deputy Chair
Christian Education National Representative
Principal, Plenty Valley Christian School
Graeme Evans
Secretary
St Philip’s Christian Education Representative
Deputy CEO, St Philip’s Christian Education
AACS welcomes new members and encourages interested schools to make contact with the Executive or Board Directors to discuss membership fees and the applicaton process. We aim to keep overheads low to ensure membership remains affordable while still providing many benefits, such as:
All member schools must affirm and adopt, and agree to observe, the following Statement of Faith (excerpt from the AACS Constitution):
We affirm that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are God’s infallible and inerrant revelation to man. It is thus the supreme standard by which all things are to be judged, and the authoritative guide for all life and conduct.
We affirm that Jesus Christ is from eternity God’s only begotten Son; He was born of a virgin and is therefore truly God and man. Through Him God created and sustains the world. Jesus suffered and died for our sins and rose again for our salvation. He ascended into heaven where He now sits on the right hand of the Father making intercession for His people. Christ is the Head of the Church and will come again to judge the world and complete the salvation of His people and the Kingdom of God.
We affirm that a Christian school is a school where Christ is confessed as the Lord of creation. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, its special task is to teach the children to understand the world from a Christ-centred perspective and to equip them for their calling in life in subjection to Jesus Christ as Lord.
We affirm that all citizens owe obedience to the legally instituted governments of our nation which derive their authority from God and are responsible to Him for promoting and maintaining public security, justice and welfare. We affirm that the responsibility for the education and guidance of children lies in the first instance with their parents or legal guardians, and that governments are duty bound to provide, without distinction and on general terms of equality, both the legal right and the opportunity for parents and guardians to choose for their children schools other than those established by public authorities that provide for the education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.
AACS is registered as a charitable public company limited by guarantee. Under the Constitution AACS is managed by a Board and meets at least four times a year. The Annual General Meeting of AACS is held in the month of May in Canberra each year. The Executive is responsible for the oversight of policy implementation and the administrative arrangements for the Association.
Christian Education National
160 Macquarie Road, Springwood, NSW, 2777
Postal Address: PO Box 60, Baxter VIC 3911
Copyright © 2020 Authorised by Vanessa Cheng, Australian Association of Christian Schools. All Rights Reserved.
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