Murat Dizdar PSM is the Secretary of the NSW Department of Education, which delivers quality education and training services for the people of New South Wales. This includes the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector, government and non-government schools, and the Vocational Education and Training sector.

Murat’s career began as a social sciences teacher at Ashcroft High School. He has experience in a range of school leadership roles, including senior principal of Belmore and Punchbowl Boys High Schools.

Prior to commencing as Secretary, Murat co-led the School Performance division. This team provides support to 95,000 teachers and school leaders – across more than 2,200 schools – to deliver a high-quality education for more than 790,000 students.

Murat presided over the Bushfire Strategy that supported communities devastated by the 2019/2020 fires, as well as the Connected Communities directorate that strengthens the educational outcomes for Aboriginal students.

Murat holds a Bachelor of Education (Secondary Humanities) majoring in Economics and Geography from the University of Sydney, and has undertaken a ‘Leadership for the 21st Century’ course at Harvard Kennedy School. He currently serves as Adjunct Professor in the School of Education at Western Sydney University.

He was awarded the Australia Day Public Service Medal in 2016, an Australian Council of Educational Leaders (ACEL) NSW Fellowship in 2019, an ACEL National Fellowship in 2020 and the Nanga Mai Department of Education and NSW AECG Inc Partnership Award 2021.

Murat is also a proud graduate of the NSW public education system. He never forgets the impact that Mr Griffiths, Ms Johanson, Mr Baker and Mr Sturm had on his life as a young student at Fort Street High School.

Follow Murat on Twitter @dizdarm