In a landmark event this April, over 150 Governing Council, Preschool and School Board Members across all sectors enthusiastically accepted an invitation from the Honourable Blair Boyer, Minister for Education, Training and Skills to come together as a community to address one of the most pressing issues facing young people today: supporting positive relationships, addressing bullying, and building resilience.

The event, which was a partnership between the Department for Education, Catholic Education South Australia, the Association of Independent Schools of South Australia, and Educators SA, was a call to action.

“Our children are facing unprecedented societal challenges and social media and the internet have taken a toll on young people’s mental health,” Minister Boyer began. “This is just a start. So let’s be bold and frank! South Australia could be the state that says we are going to deal with this together, across all sectors.

A Shared Vision from Education Leaders

The night was facilitated by Lisa-Jane O’Connor, Chief Executive of Educators SA, and featured a Q&A session with the heads of the three education sectors.

• Professor Martin Westwell, Chief Executive of the Department for Education, highlighted the importance of nurturing empathy and the ability to “stop and think” in children. He identified excessive individualism as a major threat to healthy childhood development.
• Anne Dunstan, Chief Executive of the Association of Independent Schools of SA, emphasized the crucial role of engaged communities and families in a child’s life.
• Dr. Neil McGoran, Director of Catholic Education SA, spoke about the need for shared values and principles to be lived out, both in schools and at home.

The conversation made it clear that while each sector has its unique approach, the core principles of building respect and resilience are universally shared.

A central focus of the evening was to capture the voice of Governing Councillors and Board Members. Participants engaged in table-based discussions and online breakout rooms to share their perspectives on the challenges children face and to explore how families can partner more effectively with schools. The online group was also joined by members of the National Anti-Bullying Rapid Review Taskforce, adding a vital national context to the local conversation.

As Lisa-Jane O’Connor put it, “Children learn from experience not from what they are told. Parents and teachers need to work together, to help make our kids’ lives better.”

The event marked a significant step forward, transforming the conversation from an issue within single institutions to a shared, state-wide commitment. It set a new precedent for collaboration, demonstrating that by uniting their efforts, South Australian educators and families can create a safer, more resilient future for every child. It was the launch pad for a series of 2025 Parent events all focussed on finding solutions to these challenging issues together as a community.

Want to know to more? See photos of the event here. Or head to our parent hub to see what else is going on and to access useful resources.