More than 450 principals, school and system leaders attended the first Catholic Education Leaders’ Forum recently, for the start of CEWA’s system improvement initiative with renowned education thought-leader Professor Michael Fullan. 

The Forum, a biannual event in the CEWA calendar, is always an important opportunity for leaders from across the system and State to discuss challenges, developments and system improvement in Catholic education, but having the Toronto-based professor facilitate the discussion, along with local expert consultant Brendan Spillane, received positive feedback from participants.

The day’s agenda focussed on the development of Quality Catholic Education, with discussions, a Q&A and workshopping times to engage with ideas sparked throughout the sessions. 

The morning began with a Welcome to Country from Shaun Nannup, and a message from the Most Reverend Bishop Holohan, Chair of the Catholic Education Commission, before CEWA Executive Director Dr Debra Sayce shared her perspectives in an address touching on the need to collaborate across the system. 

Dr Sayce referred to recent examples including the use of CEWA’s ViSN (Virtual School Network) technology and expertise being utilised by Aranmore Catholic College to allow students stuck overseas due to the COVID-19 outbreak to continue learning with their classmates and teachers, as well as the recent response to clean up and re-open schools in the Pilbara after Tropical Cyclone Damien. 

CEWA leaders have referenced Professor Fullan’s work on education system improvement in recent years, however this partnership will see Professor Fullan and Brendan Spillane engaged directly as part of an ongoing initiative looking at how the CEWA system can be strengthened, in alignment with the CECWA Strategic Direction, over 2020, 2021 and beyond. 

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