If you’ve ever wondered what Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) is, what we do and why, here’s a quick guide to help.

What is MACS?

MACS was established in 2021 to govern and operate approximately 300 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. We now employ over 18,000 staff, including principals, teachers, and school and system support staff.

Today, MACS educates almost 120,000 students.

Why was MACS established?

For years, Catholic schools were run by their parish priests, with many parishes establishing schools themselves.

In 2021, Archbishop Peter A Comensoli established MACS to assume the governance and operation of Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

MACS brings a modern governance framework, strengthening consistency, accountability and support across our schools, while keeping our Christ-centred mission at the heart of Catholic education.

For families, this means a stronger system-wide focus on student safety, quality teaching, wellbeing and development of the whole child – academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually.

Are all Victorian Catholic schools run by MACS?

The short answer is no.

MACS governs around 300 schools within the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

There are also other dioceses in Victoria, as well as Catholic schools that were established by religious orders like the Jesuits or the Sisters of Mercy, which are now self-governed. Each Catholic school in a diocese maintains a close working relationship with the bishop and the education office, even if it is self-governed.

See a complete list of MACS schools.

What is an archdiocese?

A diocese is a particular group of Catholics who are cared for by a bishop and an archdiocese is a larger group which often needs extra bishops to help care for the people.

The Archdiocese of Melbourne covers wider Melbourne, spanning from Torquay to as far north as Seymour and back down south to Sorrento.

What is the difference between MACS and the Archdiocese of Melbourne?

The Archdiocese of Melbourne is made up of more than 200 parishes, approximately 300 schools, and a range of organisations and agencies that care for the wider Melbourne community. Archbishop Peter A Comensoli established MACS to govern all the Catholic schools within his archdiocese.

MACS is the educational body, while the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne (CAM) is the religious body.

What is the role of MACS, the principal and the parish priest?

MACS exists to govern, support and serve our Catholic schools. We provide system-wide leadership, expertise and services that enable schools to focus on what matters most: educating, forming and caring for their students.

MACS sets the overall direction and provides the frameworks, policies and resources that support every school. This includes areas such as enrolment, employment, child safety, curriculum and teaching, as well as system-wide frameworks such as Vision for Instruction, Vision for Engagement and Vision for Leadership.

Importantly, MACS is there to serve the schools – not to make school staff do more administration. Where expertise or services can be provided effectively at a system level, MACS brings these together so the same capability doesn’t have to be replicated in every school. This includes access to specialist legal, HR, industrial, governance, educational, communications and media advice and support, as well as shared resources and professional learning.

In this way, MACS provides the strength and scale while keeping schools at the heart of the system. The aim is to remove unnecessary duplication, give principals access to expertise when they need it, and allow more of schools' time, energy and resources to be directed towards students, families and the local community.

The principal is the leader of the individual school. Principals are responsible for the day-to-day leadership and operation of their school, including leading staff, making staffing decisions, implementing MACS policies and frameworks in ways that respond to their school community, and providing educational and pastoral leadership.

The parish priest has a distinctive leadership role in the Catholic life and mission of the parish and school. The parish priest and principal work together to ensure the Catholic identity and mission of the school remain central, while respecting the distinct responsibilities of each. MACS provides the governance framework and system support within which that partnership operates.

In simple terms: MACS provides the governance, system-wide expertise and support; the principal leads the school; and the parish priest provides leadership in the Catholic mission and works in partnership with the principal. Together, they serve the students, families and communities entrusted to Catholic education.

Where does MACS get its funding?

MACS schools receive funding from both the federal and state governments, as well as income from school fees and other fundraising activities.

Catholic schools are a vital part of Victoria's education system and government funding reflects that. This allows us to keep delivering a high standard of education in our community.

MACS does not receive any funding directly from the archdiocese.

Why should I send my child to a MACS school?

You can rest assured that your local MACS school is held to high standards. With Vision for Instruction, introduced in 2024, students are building strong foundations in literacy and numeracy through evidence-based teaching. Vision for Engagement, introduced in 2025, supports calm, respectful and inclusive classrooms where students’ individual learning needs are supported and every child feels they belong.

And the results are showing. Comparing our Year 3 students in 2024 with the same cohort in Year 5 in 2026, numeracy proficiency increased from 69.9% to 79.6%, while reading proficiency increased from 75.5% to 81.0%. Our 2026 NAPLAN data also shows 70–86% of MACS students are achieving in the top two proficiency levels for reading and writing.

At a MACS school, your child will be supported to thrive academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually in a calm, respectful and inclusive environment.

What does this mean for the quality of teaching at my child's school?

When teachers are busy supporting students all day, it’s important they feel supported themselves.

We invest in professional development for teachers and school leaders, building their skills so they can lead classrooms well. This is thanks to our Vision for Leadership. It defines clear expectations for leaders in all our schools and provides clear pathways for the growth of all our staff.

When leadership is strong, it shows in every classroom through consistent teaching, well-supported staff, and students who are engaged and supported to learn.