18 October 2021
The National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) is hosting its second annual Virtual Symposium on Wednesday 27 October at 3pm AEDT with a keynote presentation by international educational expert Dr Lyn Sharratt focusing on school improvement.
The ‘Faith in the Future’ symposium will be held each year to mark World Teachers Day celebrated in Australia on Friday 29 October, and is the final national event for the celebration of the Bicentenary of Catholic education in Australia.
Dr Sharratt’s keynote address titled, ‘This is the WORK!’, will explore the need for alignment, focus and resolve by teachers and leaders to ensure every student can meet and exceed their potential.
Dr Sharratt is a highly accomplished author, researcher and practitioner working in remote and urban settings worldwide. She is an advisor for International School Leadership with the Ontario Principals’ Council; is an author consultant for Corwin Press; and consults internationally, working with system, school, and teacher leaders at all levels in Australia, Canada, Chile, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.
A panel discussion moderated by renowned Australian broadcaster Geraldine Doogue AO, will unpack the keynote address and focus on the work in schools, with student and school leader panellists from school communities across Australia.
National Catholic Education executive director Jacinta Collins said NCEC’s Virtual Symposium, which was launched last year, is an annual opportunity for school leaders and staff to engage in a broader professional discussion of the work of Catholic education.
“Catholic education serves one in five students and we recognise the work of our leaders and staff who are committed to improving learning outcomes for over 777,000 students across 1,755 schools in Australia,” Ms Collins said.
“Over the past two years our school communities have responded extraordinarily to the additional demands of remote learning and teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As we continue to face an unpredictable future, opportunities like the Virtual Symposium and our national conference to be held next September in Melbourne, will provide additional professional opportunities for educators and leaders to share their expertise and experiences in our collective work of improving learning for students,” she said.
