The 6th Annual Australian Islamic Schooling Conference was held in Melbourne from Saturday 19 to Sunday 20 August 2023 attended by more than 350 people representing stakeholders from the Islamic schools and education sector from all over Australia.
The theme of the conference ‘A Focus on Wellbeing: Afiyah’ was unpacked by three prominent keynote speakers defining wellbeing for this world and the hereafter and including the mind, body and soul.
The conference program that ran for two full days, with combined as well as parallel sessions, fielded more than two dozen speakers and presenters from diverse fields including educationists, academics, teachers, health professionals, policy makers and school administrators.
The well attended conference was organised by the Centre for Islamic Thought and Education (CITE), University of South Australia in collaboration with the Islamic Schools Association of Australia (ISAA) and hosted by Minaret College at their Springvale Camus in Melbourne.
Uncle Andrew Gardiner
Welcome to country was provided by Uncle Andrew Gardiner, Wurundjeri clansman of the Woi-wurrung people and an Aboriginal Muslim Australian who talked about the legacy of first peoples of Australia and their contacts with Muslims well before colonisation.
Uncle Andrew Gardiner also drew attention of the audience to the injustices waged upon first Australians, urging all present to vote YES at the upcoming 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum.
During his welcome address, Professor Mohamad Abdalla AM, Director of CITE said that the conference aimed to explore the holistic approach to education, emphasising the importance of ‘Afiyah’.
Professor Mohamad Abdalla AM, Director of CITE.
“As educators and scholars committed to Islamic education, we recognise that nurturing the well-being of our students is crucial for their growth and success,” he said.
Mr Abdullah Khan OAM, President of the Islamic Schools Association of Australia (ISAA) said that the conference provided a platform for sharing knowledge and best practices to foster collaboration and continuous learning.
Mr Abdullah Khan OAM, President of the Islamic Schools Association of Australia (ISAA)
Mr Mohammed Taksim Executive Principal of Minaret College said that the annual CITE Conference was a premier event for educators in Islamic schools presenting the opportunity for high calibre educators to come together, share ideas and learn together to improve their professional practice.
Mr Mohammed Taksim Executive Principal of Minaret College
The keynote speakers at the conference from very diverse backgrounds who enlightened the audience on the concept of wellbeing included Sheikh Ibrahim Abdullah Newman, Islamic scholar and Imam from Mareeba Islamic Society, Dr Paul Kidson, Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership at the Australian Catholic University and Ms Hanan Dover, Clinical and Forensic Psychologist and Clinical Director at Psychcentral based in Sydney.
Sheikh Ibrahim Abdullah Newman.
There were two plenary presentations on the second day of the conference that generated intensive discussion:
- Prof Stephen Dobson: Towards Islamic and other definitions of wellbeing-ness as experiences of inclusion, belonging and voice in a digital (post-Covid) world of global change?
- Ms Rochelle Mutton – Wellbeing and development through the lens of occupational therapy.
The conference was highly engaging, interactive highlighting both academic and practitioners’ findings, thoughts and experiences, and school/classroom-based examples related to all aspects of Islamic schooling.
The event provided an opportunity for networking, exchange of ideas and helped forge positive relationships across a wide range participants with an opportunity to discover:
- How other educators in Islamic schools understand, deal with, experience, foster and enhance wellbeing.
- What approaches Islamic schools undertake to achieve wellbeing for their leaders, educators, learners, and administrative staff.
- How Islamic schools negotiate the demands of conforming to the Australian National curriculum and fostering of wellbeing.
- What pastoral care school/classroom-based examples are available and how they foster and enhance wellbeing.
- What creative and innovative policies are in place to foster wellbeing in Islamic schools.
Associate Prof Dr Habib Bhurawala.
The wide range of concurrent sessions providing choices for the participants to attend in smaller groups explored a wide variety of topics most relevant to teachers and educators, for example:
- Dr. Aminah Mah – Towards Ultimate Wellbeing: A Definition and Model from an Islamic Perspective.
- Ms. Hena Jawaid – The role of community engagement in enhancing wellbeing through restoring meaning in faith amongst teenage Muslims.
- Associate Prof Dr Habib Bhurawala – Developmental and Learning Problems in School Children: Understanding Impacts on Well-being in the Context of Islamic Schooling.
- Assistant Prof Shyla Gonzalez-Dogan – When nowhere is safe: Experiences of anti-Blackness in Islamic institutions.
- Mr Mohammed Taksim – The importance of wellbeing as a whole of school approach to nurture students, support staff, leadership and meet organisational goals – The Minaret experience.
- Ms Silma Ihram – Practical Workshop on Staff Wellbeing Initiatives based on Tarbiyya and Tafakkur.
- Ms Gulhan Yoldas – Islamic Storytime – Wellness Through Connection.
Dr Hena Jawaid.
The first day of the conference also included a Hands-On Workshop on Islamic Art to Foster Well-Being “Art for Afiyah’ conducted by Ms Nazneen Wajid while the second day of the conference concluded with a a panel discussion on ‘Way forward for enhancing wellbeing in Islamic schools’ with the following panelists on stage:
- Mr Sam Halbouni – Principal of Senior School, Unity Grammar, NSW.
- Mr Fazeel Arain – Principal, Al Siraat College, VIC.
- Mr Abdullah Khan OAM – President, Islamic Schools Association Australia.
- Ms Hanan Dover, Clinical and Forensic psychologist and Clinical Director at Psychcentral, NSW.
- Ms Rochelle Mutton, Director and Senior OT, Motivate Kids, SA.
- Dr Ayda Succarie, International Academic Lead, Middle East and Gulf, Western Sydney Uni.
The sponsors of the conference included Crescent Wealth, INVICTUS Solutions, imbuity, MCCA, Compass, ISAA, ISSA, Masjid Al Khalil, OnePath, Minaret College, Back to the Fitrah with Australasian Muslim Times AMUST as the Media Partner.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
Photo courtesy of Minaret College.
im sure all you ppl have the best desires for the Muslim kids in Australia but sometimes when you focus too much on one thing you will become blind to the ppl next to you.and this is case with you.
I’m from Turkish community and not sure as a part of press you follow any of the major events taking place around the world or you just turn blind eye to the rest of the world and just concentrate things happening here.
we in Turkiye, this is the official way of spelling our country name which was amended recently,
had a military coup back in 2016 ,any idea who was behinded,kuffar. but kuffar does not work by themselves, they need insiders, they need traitors, they need munafikiyn. and who would be better than anyone else but the person next to us.they almost succeeded, but with the will of Allah, the almighty Turkish ppl united together and crushed these traitors by walking up to the army tank with bare hands.
some of them got locked up but majority of the still roaming free around the world and here in Australia as well