Established under the auspices of 1989 Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order, the Council’s primary purpose is the provision of an upper tier of management for the Catholic Maintained sector with the primary objective of raising standards in Catholic Maintained schools.

The seminal activities of the Council are set out in Articles 142-146 and Schedule 8 of the 1989 Education Reform (NI) Order and are as follows:

• to employ all such teachers as are required on the staffs of Catholic Maintained schools;
• to advise the Department or a board on such matters relating to Catholic Maintained schools as the Department or board may refer to the Council or as the Council may see fit;
• to promote and co-ordinate, in consultation with the trustees of Catholic Maintained schools, the planning of the effective provision of such schools;
• to promote the effective management and control of Catholic Maintained Schools by the boards of governors of such schools;
• to provide or secure, with the approval of the Department, the provision of such advice and information to the trustees, boards of governors, principal and staff of Catholic Maintained schools as appears to the Council to be appropriate in connection with the Council’s duty; and
• to exercise such other functions as are conferred on it by the Education Orders.