Catholic schools enrol 12,300 students across Cairns diocese in 2026

Cairns Catholic schools opened the 2026 year with almost 12,300 students on the rolls, a figure released by the Catholic Education Diocese of Cairns in February.

Why the numbers stand out this year

The enrolment total arrives as the diocese runs several programs aimed at attracting and keeping students and staff. These include the Aspire to Teach initiative for secondary students considering education careers and a fresh round of education scholarships announced in early February. Both efforts target long-term workforce needs in far north Queensland classrooms.

Local schools such as MacKillop Catholic College at Mount Peter hosted the Nulung Kayn Kasi event in March to mark First Nations student leadership, while St Augustine’s College marked the end of 96 years of Marist Brothers involvement in December 2025. These activities sit alongside the broader push to support teaching quality, with two Cairns Diocese teachers gaining Highly Accomplished Teacher certification by February.

Programs feeding into the growth

The diocese also launched an Access For All initiative at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart on Waiben and Kirriri in November 2025. Ten primary principals from the network attended a Queensland Catholic Primary Principals Association conference in Toowoomba in May, joining nearly 90 colleagues from across the state. Additional staff spotlights on teachers such as Linda Gaia, Julia Waldmann and Stacey Bita highlighted classroom practice during the same period.

Lauretta Graham received the CaSPA Excellence in Leadership Award at the Catholic Secondary Principals Australia conference in July, adding to the list of recognitions tied to the diocese’s operations. The enrolment data provides a concrete measure of how these combined efforts are translating into student numbers on the ground in Cairns.

Families considering Catholic education in the region can contact individual schools or the Catholic Education Diocese of Cairns office for current placement information ahead of the next intake cycle.