Catholic Education Melbourne boss Stephen Elder resigns after forcing schools backdown

Stephen Elder has resigned just months after forcing a multi-billion dollar government backdown on schools funding.

Catholic Education Commission Victoria, Executive Director Stephen Elder, has resigned. Picture: Kym Smith

Catholic Education Melbourne boss Stephen Elder has resigned just months after forcing a multi-billion dollar government backdown on schools funding.

Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli today released a statement revealing Mr Elder’s decision, which he said would precede “other ways of contributing to the cause of Catholic education in Australia”.

This would be after a period of “rest and renewal”, the statement said.

Mr Elder secured more than $4 billion in extra funding for Catholic schools after going to war with then Education Minister Simon Birmingham after the minister bungled the model for distributing cash to non-government schools.

The church said in a statement: “By mutual agreement with the recently appointed Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli, the Executive Director of Catholic Education Melbourne (CEM) and Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV), Mr Stephen Elder, has resigned from his position after 13 years.”

“Having successfully campaigned to secure a fairer national funding deal for Catholic systemic schools and having driven major operational change within CEM and the 342 parish and archdiocesan schools, Mr Elder will step aside to allow a new leader to take Catholic education in the archdiocese forward.”

Archbishop Comensoli thanked Mr Elder for his “dedicated and loyal service to Catholic education in Victoria, and for his strong voice on a national stage, by which he has made a lasting contribution for the good of Catholic education in the country”.

More to come