Margaret Madden

Education

Madden was born in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. Her father was a carpenter and wood carver, and her mother was a nurse. She finished her schooling at St. Mary's College, Ipswich and joined the Convent of the Sisters of Mercy.

She obtained a bachelor's degree from Queensland, a masters in Education and Theology from the University of Toronto, Canada, and a doctorate from Deakin University, Australia. The subject of her PhD research was Australian women’s contribution to teacher education in Pakistan.

Life in Australia

For many years she taught at Catholic schools in Gympie, Toowoomba, Brisbane and Stanthorpe in Australia. She has been a member of the board in colleges, youth programmes, theological associations and even a hospital.

She was Director of Religious Education for Toowoomba Catholic Education from 1981–88 and a member of the Brisbane Sisters of Mercy Leadership Team from 1988-93. In 1995 she was asked by the Sisters of Mercy to place her efforts at a teacher training institution in Pakistan.

In March 2011, the Queensland Catholic Education Commission honoured Sr Margaret by naming her 2011 ambassador for Catholic Education Week. She shared her story with students, teachers and parents across the State during Catholic Education Week from 24–30 July 2011.

Work in Pakistan

She has taught at the Notre Dame Institute of Education in Karachi since 1995 and been Director since 2001. Karachi is a volatile environment where violence is commonplace and she was once trapped in traffic and had a gunman firing from under her vehicle. Despite this she has been working to deliver a teaching program to young men and women who can make a real difference to the country’s development.

She taught educational psychology and curriculum studies to the bachelors and masters levels as well as coordinating and designing the Masters in Education programme.

She has also served as a board member for the Sindh Teacher Education Development Authority, Teachers Resource Centre, Programme Office for Education, Board of Studies—Faculty of Arts and Education, University of Karachi, National Catholic Institute of Theology, and the National Catholic Education Commission.

She returned to Australia permanently in June 2011,but now she is back as the new principal of St Patrick's High School, Karachi on 6TH February 2017.