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Yamaiyamarna Paitya | Teachers are deadly!
Program »
2012 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teachers and School Leaders conference
9-11 July
Intercontinental Hotel, North Terrace Adelaide
Conference concludes 1.30pm on Wednesday 11 July
The conference will feature leading Australian and international Indigenous educators, and an opportunity to network with your colleagues.
Conference theme
Yamaiyamarna Paitya will be an opportunity to influence sustainable reforms for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers:
- Successful pathways into teaching
- Effective career development and leadership
- Targeted Indigenous workforce planning
MATSITI 2012 Conference convenor is Professor Peter Buckskin, Dean: Indigenous Scholarship, Engagement and Research, University of South Australia.
Adelaide Plains Kaurna shield image courtesy SA Museum.
Conference objectives

The conference aims to achieve the following for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers and school education leaders:
- celebrate the careers of our teachers and school education leaders
- hear views directly from our teachers and leaders to shape future school and jurisdiction workforce plans
- share education research and professional practice to increase the number and capability of our teachers
- plan ways to better engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities with the teaching profession
- develop a strong national professional network to influence sustainable change
Keynote speakers

MATSITI Indigenous keynote speakers include:
- Professor Konai Thaman, UNESCO Chair of Teacher Education
- Dr Chris Sarra, Executive Director, Stronger Smarter Institute
- Ms Leanne Otene, Principal, Manaia School, New Zealand
- Ms Judith Ketchell, Executive Principal, Tagai State College (Torres Strait)
- Mr Corey Warrior, Craigmore High School, Adelaide
- Professor Paul Chandler, Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong
A series of concurrent workshops and actions will be conducted throughout the conference, including:
- action planning for aspiring and early career teachers, school leaders and HR/project staff
- surviving your first 5 years as a teacher (or a principal)
- Indigenous teacher standards
- teaching in Indigenous communities
- mentoring and professional learning
- retention and graduation in teacher education
- workforce data and system planning
- establishing a national professional network of Indigenous teachers and leaders
Look out for deadly Indigenous comic Kevin Kropinyeri at the conference dinner 🙂
Music by the CASM band.
Eligibility

The MATSITI 2012 conference is targeted at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander qualified teachers working as classroom teachers and school leaders.
The MATSITI Project will support the registration of costs of eligible delegates up to a maximum of 200 participants nationally.
The MATSITI Project leadership group has assessed and advised applications for conference attendance and registration costs according to the following criteria.

Reconciliation SA
Principles for supporting MATSITI registration costs and eligibility will be for delegates who:
- Show a passion and commitment to school education
- Are teachers and school education leaders working in schools
- Represent a cross-section of the teaching profession – location, career experience, year and subject levels, specialist positions, government/non-government, leadership positions and gender
- Have potential to take forward conference findings and actions after the forum with schools, school systems and professional networks
- Have school or education system support for their attendance
A limited number of places have been made available for staff who work directly with Indigenous teacher HR and career development, and for Indigenous final year teaching undergraduate students.
Support and funding
Conference registration costs will be met by the MATSITI Project, funded by the Australian Government.
The Project Team has written to school jurisdictions to provide support in meeting travel and accommodation cost for an agreed number of eligible delegates.
Apply for conference registration
Note Registrations have now closed and delegates acknowledged.
Further information or queries about conference presentations and attendance can be sent to or 08 83020036..