CECNSW A/Executive Director Ian Baker said the new body – which replaces the Board of Studies, Teaching and Education Standards (BOSTES) from today, 1 January, has a unique opportunity to fulfill its brief to further strengthen teaching and learning in NSW.
“BOSTES and its predecessor, the Board of Studies, served NSW education well for the past 25 years, helping to shape an internationally respected school education system,” Mr Baker said.
“Their evolution now into the NESA is a timely response by the NSW Government to establish a stronger, performance-focused environment for all schools that will consolidate and reinforce educational standards.”
Mr Baker said the NESA has an able and more streamlined board of 14 - down from 23 under BOSTES – that will aid governance and help make it a more responsive body.
The board will establish delegated committees for curriculum, assessment, school registration,and initial teacher education, and also advise on their membership.
“The new CEO, David de Carvalho, brings a wealth of public sector experience to the role, having held senior positions in State and Commonwealth departments such as Higher Education, Prime Minister & Cabinet, Health & Ageing, Finance and most recently Family & Community Services,” Mr Baker said.
“A former teacher, Mr de Carvalho was also on the boards of the Australian Council for Educational Research and Curriculum Corporation (now Education Services Australia), as well as CEO of the National Catholic Education Commission from 1998 to 2003.”
The new ESA board includes the current Executive Director of CECNSW, Dr Brian Croke – who was also deputy president of BOSTES – and Iris Nastasi, the principal of Clancy Catholic College in West Hoxton, a co-educational secondary school in Sydney’s growing south west.
Mr Baker said that under its new leadership, the NESA is well placed to ensure schools and teachers are better supported to help deliver improved outcomes to students and their parents.
“CECNSW looks forward to working with the NESA to improve learning for every student in every sector in NSW, be they in urban, regional or remote areas,” he said.