Learning across borders: Education leaders from India visit Australia

A week of professional exchange, shared learning and connection brought education leaders from India and Australia together to explore approaches to education, leadership, governance and their shared Mary Ward mission.

Loreto Ministries recently welcomed Mrs Nandini Bhattacharjee, Director of the Loreto Education Board for South Asia, and Sr Mable Pramila Rudum CJ, Principal of Loreto Convent Shillong, during a week-long visit to Melbourne.

The visit was an important opportunity to strengthen connections between the Loreto Provinces of India and Australia and to share experiences of education, leadership and mission across different contexts.

For Nandini and Sr Mable, the purpose was not to replicate the Australian education system, but to observe different practices, reflect on their own approach and consider what could be adapted to meet the particular needs of their context in India.

Learning across borders

Nandini brings more than 33 years of experience in education to her role as Director of the Loreto Education Board for South Asia, where she works with principals and schools as they respond to educational change and reform.

As Principal of Loreto Convent Shillong, Sr Mable brings the perspective of school leadership and of a diverse school community of almost 1,500 students. She spoke of the many cultures and languages represented within her school and the richness they bring to the community.

Together, their different perspectives provided the foundation for wide-ranging conversations with education leaders in Melbourne.

During their time at Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak, Nandini and Sr Mable met with Principal Angela O’Dwyer and members of the Executive Team, as well as staff and students.

Their discussions explored staff wellbeing, recruitment and professional growth, inclusive classrooms, parent engagement and community outreach. Time within the school also gave them an opportunity to see these approaches in practice.

There were quieter moments too. Nandini and Sr Mable joined Prep students for afternoon prayer and took part in Chapel Assembly with the Year 7 students, simple but meaningful experiences that reflected the shared faith and Mary Ward tradition connecting the two communities.

For Nandini, the opportunity to see how ideas were put into practice, rather than simply discussing them in theory, was particularly valuable.

Exploring governance, mission and stewardship

At the Loreto Centre, the exchange continued with members of the Loreto Ministries team, providing an opportunity to explore the structures that support the governance, mission and sustainability of Loreto schools in Australia.

Loreto Ministries CEO Maureen Ryan spoke with Nandini and Sr Mable about Loreto Ministries as a Ministerial Public Juridic Person (MPJP), the role of the Stewards and the way governance and mission are overseen across the Loreto network.

Director of Mission & Identity Carolyn Young explored the use of the Mary Ward Compass within schools and Loreto Ministries’ approach to the induction of School Board Directors.

John Braddon and Sanny Liu shared insights into financial stewardship and the ways Loreto Ministries oversees and supports the long-term financial sustainability of its schools.

The Communications Team, Karen Fogarty and Carrie Wood, also sat down with Nandini and Sr Mable to capture some of their reflections on the visit, their experiences of Mary Ward education across different contexts and what they hoped to take home to India.

Together, these conversations offered a broader view of the relationship between educational leadership, governance, mission, stewardship and communication, while also creating space to compare experiences across the two countries.

A shared Mary Ward mission

Throughout the week, conversations returned to how Mary Ward’s vision and values find expression within different educational and cultural contexts.

Sr Mable reflected on the strong sense of Mary Ward’s spirit she experienced during her time in Melbourne, while Nandini was particularly interested in the emphasis on inclusion and creating space for different members of a community to participate and contribute.

For both visitors, seeing the Mary Ward tradition expressed through people and relationships, as well as through structures and programs, was an important part of the experience.

Nandini described seeing the Loreto spirit in action in the schools and offices they visited, and identified the words “Striding out, spirited and strong” as something she would take home with her.

Reflections from Nandini Bhattacharjee and Sr Mable Pramila Rudum CJ during their visit to Melbourne.

Learning through relationship

Beyond the formal program, shared meals, conversations and time spent with members of the wider community became an important part of the week.

Both visitors spoke warmly about the welcome they received. Sr Mable reflected on travelling such a long way from home and the sense of acceptance she experienced in Australia, while Nandini spoke of the warmth, camaraderie and Australian sense of humour they encountered.

When asked about their hopes for graduates of Mary Ward schools, their reflections centred not first on academic achievement, but on character and service. They spoke about young people being open to diversity, working collaboratively with others and recognising their responsibility to contribute to their communities.

Sr Mable captured this simply as a desire to focus “more on being than doing”.

Continuing the connection

The value of the visit was evident in the message Nandini and Sr Mable sent after returning home to India.

They described themselves as feeling “blessed and enriched” by the experience and expressed their gratitude for the hospitality, warmth and care they had received throughout the week.

They also reflected on the professional learning they would take home, describing their meetings with school leadership teams and those at the Loreto Centre as another chapter of “positive learning and sharing”.

The resources and ideas shared during the visit will support further reflection on how different approaches might be applied in light of the needs of their own context. Importantly, the exchange will not end with the visit, with Nandini and Sr Mable expressing their intention to remain connected.

“The way forward, the similarities bind us together in a shared and common mission,” they wrote.

Their visit was a valuable reminder that while Loreto communities around the world work within different cultures, circumstances and educational systems, there is much to be gained from listening, sharing and learning from one another.

It is through these relationships that a shared commitment to education, faith and the mission of Mary Ward continues to grow across the global community.