Australian Catholic education virtual symposium to focus on
school improvement and student learning
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 focus ing 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 e ducation in Australia.
Dr Sharratt’s keynote address titled, ‘This is the WORK!’, w ill 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
internation ally, 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 th e 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
S ymposium, 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.
” O ver t he past two years our school communities have responded extraordinarily to the
additional demands of remote learning and teaching d ue to the COVID – 19 pandemic.
“A s 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 im proving learning for students,” she said.
Information on the Virtual Symposium and to register visit.
