Morling College Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr John Collier as the Dean of Morling Education. Dr Collier’s appointment has been well received by the Morling community with comments such as “awesome” and “brilliant”. Rev Dr Ross Clifford, Principal of Morling College said, “for our students the quality of our faculty and staff are the number one reason for studying at Morling. In this regard we believe John’s appointment is a real answer to prayer”.

John has been the Head of St Andrew’s Cathedral School and St Andrew’s Cathedral Gawura (Indigenous) School for 11 years and, prior to that, was Principal of a multi denominational Christian School and a Government School, ranging over 31 years of Principalship. He is Chair of the Anglican Education Commission and a member of the Synod of the Sydney Diocese, and a Lay Canon of St Andrew’s Cathedral, a recent past Chair of AHISA (NSW/ACT) and a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators and the Australian Council for Educational Leaders. For seven years, he Chaired the Academic Committee of AHISA (NSW/ACT), which dealt extensively with the state curriculum authority.

He is a past recipient of the Alan Laughlin Perpetual Award, an Australian College of Educators recognition for outstanding educational leadership and the Principals Australia Institute John Laing Professional Development Award. In 2018, he was awarded the Sir Harold Wyndham Medal for educational leadership, by the Australian College of Educators, the first ever Head of an Independent School to be so honoured. He is immediate past Chair of the Independent Sporting Association and of the International Baccalaureate Heads’ Association (NSW/ACT).

His doctoral studies were in Christian Education, Leadership and the Development of Culture and Ethos and his books, Teaching Well: Insights for Educators in Christian Schools and Better Learning: Trajectories for Christian Educators, are used widely in Anglican and other Christian Schools. In 2018, his book Pupils, Pimples and Parents: being a prophetic voice to the community as Head of School, was published and widely acquired by NSW Principals.

Morling is committed to its education program and has been blessed by graduates who are ministering in schools, both locally, nationally, and globally. Dr Collier joins us at a strategic time, as Vose Seminary (Perth), has now joined Morling College, as ‘one’ ministry institution. Dr Collier with his broad networks and experience will continue to lead Morling in equipping Christian teachers. Dr Collier will initially be focusing his work on special projects while Dr Pam Harvey, the current Dean of Education, continues to oversee the regular operations of the faculty. Dr Collier will take up his new position substantively from early in 2022. 

Dr Collier said he “was delighted, honoured and excited to be appointed by Morling College as Dean of Education and hopes to continue the fine work of his predecessor, Professor James Dalziel”. The Chair of Morling Board, Bill Rusin, shared “as a former Principal I have known John for many years and he is a highly respected and insightful educator, who brings Scripture to bear on every aspect of the educational endeavour”.