If all students in Catholic schools are to flourish, there is a need to address an overarching challenge for Catholic education to remain responsive and relevant in a rapidly changing world.
This theme carried across key sessions in board effectiveness, digital transformation and risk management at the recent Catholic Schools Board Chair Conference.
More than 110 delegates from Catholic schools across Western Australia gathered at the Duxton Hotel in Perth for the biennial event on 19 May.
Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) Executive Director, Dr Tim McDonald, opened the conference with an address centred around ‘2017 and Beyond: LEADing in Uncertain Times’.
“We have an amazing Catholic story to tell. The challenge is to make this story meaningful in the lives of our children, staff and parents in complex times,” Dr McDonald said.
Acknowledging the reality in which Catholic schools operate, CEWA has continued to grow in the understanding and knowledge of the importance of Catholic schools in a society that is undergoing rapid changes on many levels.
In increasingly globalised times, the acceleration of technology in learning environments, as well as unprecedented access to knowledge and expertise, have placed greater impetus on the work of CEWA to ensure that Catholic schools remain an education provider of choice.
“This is no more evident than through our LEADing Lights digital transformation which has its foundations in our strategic LEAD focus areas: Learning; Engagement; Accountability; and Discipleship.”
Dr McDonald explained that the ability to harness the immense knowledge and expertise of global leaders in digital transformation to enhance learning outcomes is an exciting prospect for Catholic education.
More than that, the ability for technology to support the pastoral care needs of students reinforces Catholic education’s purpose as a faith-filled learning community that supports all students to flourish.
“Catholic identity and how this is articulated with meaning and purpose, is central to the work of CEWA.
“It is paramount that our efforts remain centred on maintaining fidelity to the Bishops’ Mandate,” Dr McDonald said.
As leaders in Catholic schools, Dr McDonald encouraged Board Chairs to embrace the opportunity for transformation, to take strength from their purpose of providing for the needs of current and future students in their school communities.
In the words of Pope Francis, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”