The Oration
The annual Sylvia Walton Oration is a prominent feature of the ACE Victoria calendar. Amongst many roles in education, Dr Sylvia Walton AO, FACE was Chancellor of La Trobe University, Principal of Tintern Grammar, Principal of St Catherine’s School and also Deputy Head of Campus at Caulfield Grammar School, Wheelers Hill, where this year’s oration is being held. The oration is delivered by a prominent contributor to education and seeks to highlight contemporary issues faced by the education community. This year’s oration will be presented by Professor Helen Cahill, Director of the Youth Research Centre, Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne.
The title of this year’s oration is ‘Social and emotional learning – from evidence to action’
Schools are a key setting through which to build the personal and social capabilities. The OECD defines social and relational skills as the 21st Century skills which are key for success in life and employment. Research demonstrates that social and emotional learning programs can lead to improved academic outcomes and reduced rates of bullying, disengagement, depression and anxiety. This presentation focuses on the ways that evidence-informed approaches to social and emotional learning can inform best practice in pedagogy, with emphasis on collaborative learning, relationship-building and metacognitive engagement.