Governance in the spotlight for Good Samaritan Education

Each year, Good Samaritan Education (GSE) conducts a Governance Day where we focus on corporate governance trends and specific issues of governance pertaining to the education sector and Public Juridic Persons. Feedback from Board Chairs, Directors and Company Members helps shape these days, and this year was no exception.

GSE Chair of Governing Council Moira Najdecki. Image: Good Samaritan Education.

Feedback indicated a plethora of areas which could have warranted attention including sustainability goals and climate reporting; artificial intelligence; cyber-security; workforce planning and strategy; diversity, equity and inclusion; and psycho-social risk.

This year, with the need to engage in the drafting of our new Constitution, we were able to nominate two areas for the 2024 Governance Day: Workforce Planning and Strategy, and artificial intelligence (AI).

The sessions are described below, but we were all in agreement that the richness of the presentations and the challenges and opportunities described could easily have lent themselves to a whole day on any one of the topics.

We are grateful to have been able to access such engaging leaders in their fields.  

Teacher Engagement – the Changing Nature of the Workforce and Workplace with Fleur Johnston, CEO Peoplebench

Mater Dei is a unique organisation in many ways. Our foundation is as a school for students with a mild to moderate intellectual disability. However, over the years, this has expanded to include an early childhood education program, assessment and therapy, and a post-school continuous learning program.

What isn’t unique about Mater Dei is our passionate employees – this is a common factor across the education and disability sectors. The work our employees undertake each and every day is demanding, requiring a work environment in which our employees feel supported and where their ongoing learning and development are a priority.

Fleur’s presentation contained some sobering statistics on the teaching profession, which I’m certain would be replicated in the disability sector as well.

While Fleur had us reflecting on these challenges, we were left with a clear appreciation of the importance of developing a workforce strategy. The use of benchmarks and metrics certainly attracted my attention – maybe they appealed to my accounting background!
Fleur was an engaging, empathetic presenter, and I was certainly keen to share the learnings from her presentation with our HR team on my return to the office.

Reflections by Richard Drinnan, Board Chair & Acting CEO of Mater Dei.

Draft School Constitution with Biljana Apostolova from Gadens Lawyers

The second session of the day was on the draft of the new Colleges Constitution for the sole member model. The session was led by Biljana Apostolova from Gadens Lawyers along with Rodger Austin.

The draft of the new Constitution had been distributed prior to the day, and it was clear that it had been read and considered carefully by many. Along with hard copies of the draft document, there was a summary document highlighting the key areas of change and a draft School Structure diagram. Biljana and Rodger led the group through the sections, emphasising key changes along with areas where the governance structure is unchanged.

The most significant change in the proposed GSE governance structure is of Company Membership (Clause 5), and this informs and drives other changes which flow from it. There were many questions raised by the group, which led to a deeper exploration of the document for everyone.

There was a very positive atmosphere with questions seeking deeper understanding and clarity. Biljana took away a number of suggested changes or modifications to the Constitution and to the proposed structure diagram to be considered and incorporated into the next draft.

Reflections by Leonie Keaney, Chair of Members at Mater Christi College and GSE Assembly Member.

Rethinking School Governance for an AI World with Professor Matt Bower

GSE was privileged to have Professor Matt Bower from Macquarie University as one of the keynote speakers on the day. Professor Bower, an expert in educational technology, provided an engaging and informative session outlining the benefits and challenges of AI in education.

AI is revolutionising education, creating exciting opportunities and significant challenges for schools. According to Professor Bower, AI can significantly enhance the learning experience by personalising education and making it more accessible.

One of the key benefits of AI in schools is its ability to tailor educational content to individual students’ needs. AI-driven tools can analyse students’ strengths and weaknesses, providing customised resources and feedback. This personalised approach helps students to better understand complex subjects and fill learning gaps more effectively.

AI can also automate administrative tasks such as marking and attendance tracking. This allows teachers to focus more on teaching and engaging with students, enhancing the overall educational experience. Professor Bower emphasises that this shift enables educators to dedicate more time to developing critical thinking and creativity in their students.

Professor Bower left his audience both excited and energised by his presentation, and it was a wonderful way to end an excellent day.

Reflections by Frank Pitt, Deputy Chair of GSE Governing Council.

This article was published in the July 2024 edition of The Good Oil.

GSE Executive Director Jane Comensoli with Biljana Apostolova from Gadens Lawyers and GSE Member Rodger Austin. Image: Good Samaritan Education.