29 October 2021
Year One of our 'all hands-on deck' collaboration with Malek Fahd Islamic School (MFIS) in Sydney has been completed. With all things COVID it was challenging to have the presence on MFIS school campuses we had envisioned but nonetheless we collectively feel momentum is picking up. As a refresher, this collaboration aspires to support MFIS in reconnecting with their vision at a deep level. It is meant to 're-turn' attention and emphasis on what matters most to all Islamic schools - fostering a strong Australian Muslim identity. A growing number of innovative and inspiring educational leaders and classroom educators (as leaders of learning) from MFIS are (or will be) taking CITE Graduate Certificate in Education (Islamic Education). All staff are engaging in bi-monthly professional learning sessions on Islamic Pedagogy to foster a 'common-language' across all campuses and staff. And each year CITE conducts a school-wide review to measure impact.
In the first year of our engagement with MFIS, a brave first wave of educators have stepped forward and commenced the Grad Cert. All staff have received professional learning on what Islamic Pedagogy is, why it is critical to Islamic schooling, and how it will establish the foundation for distinction. Our association with MFIS over this first year has impressed upon us, MFIS is a dynamic school with passionate educators and a passionate community that hold high aspirations for distinction, aspirations that stand to potentially set the tone for Islamic school renewal, locally and globally. As implementation partners with MFIS in this collaboration, the co-design process has identified next years focus, to establish some critical pillars and enablers, as the foundations for innovative practice aspirations identified. So, in the last leg of our Year 1 MFIS has taken the insightful step to empower their educators and established sub-committees that are now working on articulating an educational philosophy and graduate qualities that define how we collectively envision enacting the school's vision. Year 2, here we come!
To keep up to date on our collaboration at MFIS and to see the journey to distinction, look out for our blog coming out in 2022.
