Alongside the co-design of the new DOBCEL 2035 strategy, our diocese has continued to grow partnerships with Canadian colleagues who have travelled similar journeys of education system improvement in recent years.

A delegation including Terry Harney (DOBCEL Board Chair), Kathleen Donnellon (Board Director), Tom Sexton (Executive Director), Matthew Byrne (Deputy Director – Catholic Education), Michelle Haeusler (Principal, St Mary MacKillop College, Swan Hill), and Dave Runge (Future Schools), travelled to Canada over the recent holiday period to meet with both Catholic and government educators in the Toronto, Ontario, Edmonton, and Ottawa regions across an intensive ten-day period.

‘We aim to learn from both the successes and challenges of the Canadians in working towards system improvement in contexts similar to our own,’ Tom Sexton said.

‘At the same time, we are also establishing partnerships that will deliver ongoing benefits to both our schools and diocese more broadly, as the new DOBCEL 2035 strategy is activated.’

Highlights of the visit included meetings with Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto and Co-Director of the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning global initiative, and Andy Hargreaves, a globally respected advocate for equitable and inclusive education, a strong teaching profession, and positive educational change worldwide.

‘To have the opportunity to discuss our plans directly with educators of the calibre of Michael and Andy was a real honour, but most importantly provided great affirmation of our DOBCEL strategic directions,’ Tom Sexton said.

The DOBCEL Board’s 10-year strategy has been co-designed with school leaders, teachers, non-teaching staff, students, and families across the diocese under the guidance of Professor Pasi Sahlberg and Dave Runge. A plan is currently being developed to communicate the plan widely across the DOBCEL community.