Senior Western Australian Catholic Education bureaucrat Dr Tim McDonald has been appointed the new Director of Catholic Education in WA. Dr McDonald will replace the outgoing Director of the organisation, Ron Dullard, in early November.
A panel of six people, which included a representative of the Bishops of Western Australia, unanimously made the key WA Catholic appointment of Dr McDonald to lead Catholic education in the state into the future. The Chair of the selection panel, Bishop Gerard Holohan of Bunbury, told The Record Dr McDonald’s extensive practical and academic experience in teaching made him a stand-out candidate. Dr McDonald, currently the Assistant Director, People and Organisational Services, began working for the Catholic Education Office of WA in May last year, concluding 10 years of service as an Associate Professor specialising in classroom management at Edith Cowan University.
He has taught in Perth as a classroom teacher and has worked as a year coordinator, a Religious Education coordinator and a Deputy Principal in Catholic schools.
He obtained his doctorate in classroom management at Oxford Brooks University in England.
During his time in England, Dr McDonald taught history and religious education at an all-girls school in Oxford and also worked with young teenagers outside mainstream education. He told The Record he was looking forward to taking on his responsibilities as Director of Catholic Education in WA and expects to face many challenges; in particular, ensuring location does not disadvantage education.
“Right across the state, it doesn’t matter if you’re in the Broome diocese or Bunbury, Geralton or Perth… you will get quality education, the teachers will feel supported, that our services support and are delivered very well,” he said.
“I’d like to think Catholic education can differentiate itself not only in its Catholic identity and in its opportunity to develop people’s faith but I would like to put [Catholic Education] competitively against any other education system in the world”. Dr McDonald said he wants teachers to create learning environments where all young people have a sense they belong, that they feel they have talent, experience some empowerment in their lives and the opportunity to give back and be generous to others. “One of the great lessons I learned, both in working with students who have been excluded from school, in my own doctoral work and then working with other teachers, has been to maintain the dignity of young people,” he said.
Outgoing Director Mr Dullard, who has held his position at Catholic Education WA for nine years, said Dr McDonald is well positioned to take Catholic Education forward to face the challenges of the future.
“Tim is a very thoughtful, forward looking person who brings a great deal of expertise to school education and life,” he told The Record.
Dr McDonald will start his new job as Director on November 5.