16 August - 17 August 2025

Australian Islamic Schools aspire to foster wholeness - spiritual, intellectual, physical, moral, ethical, imaginative, and social aptitudes. But pressures to perform academically create two challenges for our schools: a) standardised test scores unknowingly become the marker of success and b) assessing that which cannot be measured (e.g. morality and spirituality) is left open-ended. The conundrum is this: Australian Islamic Schools are undoubtedly graduating students with high academic performance but how do we measure impact on fostering wholeness? This year’s conference aspires to raise the difficult question we often don’t collectively get to explore: do we assess what matters most and if so, how? 

This year’s conference extends our collective commitment to drawing from the Islamic Worldview to think about education in Australia anew. The focus on assessment will allow us to hone in on a critical area of our work in schools rarely problematised. Our aim is to push thinking and encourage renewed practice that holds true the very aspirations we have for Australian Islamic schooling. 

Key themes of the conference include: 

  1. Islamic Worldview in relation to assessment 
  2. Assessing moral, spiritual, and ethical development
  3. Early years assessment 
  4. Opportunities within Australian assessment and evaluation policy and practice 
  5. Research and practice related to alternative assessment and evaluation 
  6. Assessment and evaluation in Islamic Studies  
  7. Assessment and evaluation in Arabic Studies  
  8. Key debates on standardisation of assessment and evaluation 
  9. Student, parents, community perspectives, expectations, and aspirations related to assessment and evaluation 
  10. Rethinking school evaluations and teacher appraisals in relation to the Islamic Worldview.

🎙️ Keynote Spotlight: Professor Pasi Sahlberg

"Beyond the Test: Reclaiming Purpose and Possibility for Flourishing Learners"

What if our obsession with standardised tests is costing us the very soul of education?

Internationally renowned education reformer Professor Pasi Sahlberg brings a bold and inspiring call to action for school leaders ready to rethink assessment and reclaim what matters most. With decades of experience across Finland, the World Bank, Harvard, and now Australia, Sahlberg will challenge us to move beyond the metrics, beyond the data, and beyond the test.

In this unmissable keynote, Prof. Sahlberg will:

  • Expose the hidden costs of high-stakes testing
  • Share powerful global examples of purpose-driven assessment
  • Champion the role of teacher agency and trust
  • Offer pathways to cultivate human flourishing in every classroom

For Islamic school educators committed to nurturing the whole child — spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and morally — this keynote is a game-changer. It will deepen your resolve, expand your vision, and equip you to create learning cultures that reflect your highest values.

Prof. Pasi Salhberg Bio

 

🌿 Keynote Spotlight: Sr Elma Ruth Harder

"From Sacred Intentions to Purposeful Endings: Assessment as an Act of Witnessing"

What if assessment was not a process of judgment—but an act of witnessing?

In this deeply spiritual and thought-provoking keynote, Sr Elma Ruth Harder invites educators to reimagine assessment through the lens of Qur’anic worldview, sacred intention (niyyah), and purposeful endings (husn al-khātimah). Drawing from the wisdom of Islamic scholars such as al-Muḥāsibī, Ibn Furak, and al-Ghazālī, Sr Elma challenges us to see assessment as a spiritual responsibility—one that shapes not just what we measure, but who our students become.

Blending metaphors of tapestry weaving and garden cultivation, she will explore:

  • How Prophetic teachings inspire compassion-centred assessment
  • The balance of content and character in the classroom
  • The inner accountability of the teacher as a nurturer of souls
  • How assessment, when done with sincerity, becomes a sacred trust

For Islamic educators seeking depth, beauty, and meaning in their practice, this keynote is a profound reminder of what it means to teach with Allah in mind—and assess with the End in sight.

Sr Elma Harder Bio

 

Hosted by Australian Islamic College - Perth

  • Registration minus-thick plus-thick

    $250 per person x 2 days (GST exclusive)

    $150 Fulltime student x 2 days (GST exclusive and must provide Student ID)

    Please Register via HUMANITIX

    Invoice - to receive an invoice please contact cite@unisa.edu.au

  • Exhibitors/Sponsors minus-thick plus-thick
    Our wonderful exhibitors and sponsors who make it possible for us to host a well-rounded and successful Islamic Education Conference - AAISC8

     

    Our Gracious Host and Donor

    Australian Islamic College is our generous partner in co-hosting the 8th Annual Australian Islamic Schooling Conference. Islamic Schools Association of Australia 

     

    PLATINUM

     

    SILVER

  • Accommodation Options minus-thick plus-thick
    Novotel Perth Langley

    Please use the link below in order to get the discounted rates. The other option is you can enter the code NPLEVENT under ‘Special Rates’  Link to book your accommodation at Novotel Perth Langley

    Pan Pacific Perth

    When making the booking, please ensure you scroll down to the section under Exclusive 20% Savings and select the Book Now button in this section. The 20% discount link is only available for stays between 15th August – 18th August 2025 (inclusive).

    Duxton Hotel Perth

    Offering a discounted rate of $250 per night - stay and rate validity is : 14/08/2025 to 19/08/2025, Rate Access Code : UniSA

  • Organising Committee & Advisory Committee minus-thick plus-thick

    Mohamad.jpg

    Professor Mohamad Abdalla AM
    mohamad.abdalla@unisa.edu.au

    DSC_7737.jpg

    Dr Nadeem Memon
    nadeem.memon@unisa.edu.au

    WEB_CHOWN_DYLAN-006_WEB.jpg

    Mr Dylan Chown
    dylan.chown@unisa.edu.au

    Advisory Committee: 

    Dr Jan Ali, Western Sydney University
    Dr Fida Sanjakdar, Monash University
    Dr Ibrahima Diallo, University of South Australia
    Mr. Abdullah Khan, President Islamic Schooling Association of Australia
    Dr Nada Ghamraoui, NNG Educational Consultancy
    Ms. Nuraan Samodien, Minarah College, NSW
    Dr. Nadia Selim, University of Sydney

  • Call for Abstracts minus-thick plus-thick

    CITE invites abstracts of original and critical research papers, or classroom-based examples addressing the broad theme of Islamic Schooling Renewal: A Focus on Assessment – Why, What and How We Assess in Australian Islamic Schools? Academics, educators, school leaders and school cohorts are welcome to submit.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    CITE invites:
    a) short descriptions of proposed interactive educator workshops that showcase school and/or classroom-based examples of Islamic Schooling Renewal: A focus on assessment programs in practice.
    b) abstracts for critical research papers on conceptual or empirical research related to assessment in Islamic schools.

    Topics of interest for abstract submission include, but are not limited to:
    1. Islamic Worldview in relation to assessment
    2. Assessing moral, spiritual, and ethical development
    3. Early years assessment
    4. Opportunities within Australian assessment and evaluation policy and practice
    5. Research and practice related to alternative assessment and evaluation
    6. Assessment and evaluation in Islamic Studies
    7. Assessment and evaluation in Arabic Studies
    8. Key debates on standardisation of assessment and evaluation
    9. Student, parents, community perspectives, expectations, and aspirations related to assessment and evaluation
    10. Rethinking school evaluations and teacher appraisals in relation to the
    Islamic Worldview

    These themes provide a broad spectrum of topics for abstract submissions that can contribute to the conference's vibrant and diverse discussions on assessment, why, what and how we assess in Australian Islamic schools.

    Abstracts of no more than 300 words must be submitted together with an author(s) or school’s biography by 15 May 2025 to cite@unisa.edu.au

    Abstracts should be submitted to cite@unisa.edu.au in Word format and written in the following order:

    1. Author(s) full name,

    2. Affiliation,

    3. Email address and contact number,

    4. Title of abstract,

    5. Body of abstract (max 300 words),

    6. Author’s biography (150-200 words)

    Email subject should be titled: AAISC8 Abstract Submission.
    Use plain text (Times New Roman, 12point, double spaced) and abstain from using footnotes and any special formatting, characters or emphasis (such as bold, italics or underline).

    We will acknowledge receipt and respond to all abstracts submitted.