16 Mar 2026
With almost 80,000 students from 139 different countries, and 161 different languages spoken, Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse schooling systems in Australia.
This Harmony Week (16 to 22 March), BCE celebrates some of its most multicultural schools, and the programs that foster inclusion, belonging and a deep respect for the rich cultural identities that make up our communities.
St Augustine’s College, Augustine Heights
Of BCE’s 146 schools across South East Queensland, the College is the most linguistically diverse BCE school, with 56 different languages spoken at home and students born in over 30 different countries.
Some of the countries students are born in include Argentina, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Albania, and Afghanistan, to name a few. While students speak a variety of languages, including Vietnamese and Tagalog to Spanish, Samoan, Punjabi, Portuguese, Nepali, Malayalam and Aboriginal Language.
The College celebrates Harmony Week every year through meaningful exchanges of culture, opening hearts and minds to the sharing of diverse cuisines, traditional dress, dance, music, language, prayer and stories.
Reflecting this growing cultural richness, St Augustine’s College welcomed a sixth stream of classes to its Secondary Precinct in 2023.
The College is expected to continue expanding in the coming two years, with a newly expanded Giramee Hall constructed to accommodate the growing multicultural community.
Clairvaux MacKillop College, Upper Mount Gravatt
Students at Clairvaux MacKillop College, Upper Mount Gravatt also boasts a highly diverse student cohort, with students born in 41 different countries, and 51 languages spoken at home.
With multiculturalism at the forefront, the College also employed Douce, a refugee from the Republic of Burundi, in 2026 as part of BCE’s Work and Welcome program.
BCE’s Work and Welcome program creates life-changing opportunities for refugees and migrants, offering meaningful employment across its 146 schools and six offices across South East Queensland.
The opportunity allowed Douce to hone her hospitality skills in the College Canteen, with a dream to one day own her own Café in Australia.
The College will again celebrate Harmony Week this year through a visual activity, with students marking their country of birth on a world map.
St Thomas More College, Sunnybank
St Thomas More College is BCE’s third most culturally and linguistically diverse school, with students from 25 different countries, speaking 44 different languages.
The College is also a high performer when it comes to NAPLAN progress.
In 2025, the College was one of four Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) schools included in ACARA’s 'Schools Making a Difference'. This is a list of schools with a significant proportion of students who have made above-average progress across domains.
Principal Les Conroy said the College’s NAPLAN results demonstrated that cultural and linguistic diversity was a strength.
“Our students bring a richness of language, culture and perspective to the classroom, and we see that reflected in their learning growth," he said.
BCE First Nations Dance Workshops
BCE schools from across the system will come together (24 - 26 March) for a series of culturally rich dance workshops and cultural days led by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Team, Community and Cultural Engagement Officer Gracey McGrath. These initiatives work in collaboration with Ngutana-Lui, BCE's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Studies Centre.
Senior Manager, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Mayrah Dreise said these initiatives have been developed as a part of the Molum Sabe 2026-2027 impact domain, Identity and Wellbeing.
“Increasing quality cultural immersions for First Nations students is a priority for BCE,” she said.
“It’s one way we can grow Indigenous leadership.”
The dance workshops are being delivered in both the Sunshine Coast (24 March) and Fraser Coast (26 March), with over 200 First Nations students expected to participate from across 146 schools. The dance workshops will also be delivered to First Nations students in the South Burnett for the every first time (1 June), hosted at Saint Mary’s College, Kingaroy. Other dance workshops are also planned across the Diocese in 2026.
Designed specifically for First Nations students the workshops provide a culturally safe and empowering space to connect with culture, identity and engage as a community through dance, song, music and storytelling.
While the cultural days support First Nations students as they grow their leadership through cultural immersion with Ngutana-Lui educators.
Gracey said, “it is a privilege for us as a team to lead our First Nations young people, in growing their identity and pride, and supporting them to connect with each other through real life strength-based cultural experiences.”
BCE Cultural Awareness Days Launch for 2026
Also fostering inclusion and cultural safety this Harmony Week, BCE’s Cultural Awareness Days will be held at the Ngutana-Lui Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Studies Centre.
Staff who attend these Cultural Awareness Days participate in rich learning experience facilitated by BCE’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education team, who explore the BCE Cultural Capability Framework, Intergenerational Trauma, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander spirituality, weaving, yarning circles, art, song, language and dance.
These days support professional learning by deepening understanding of First Nations cultures, strengthening implementation of BCE’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), and providing BCE staff with a deep awareness around First Nations knowledges and how these intersect with their personal and professional learning journeys.
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