Welcome back to a new academic year. By now, most students are back to school, although some in the far western parts of the state still have a few more days before they start. For some teachers, it’s already been a few weeks since rolling out of bed into those first few professional learning days. For leaders, some have already clocked up even more days than that. Early childhood educators and many tertiary educators have already been back for quite a few weeks, too.
Whatever the rhythm of the start to your year, I trust you’ve been able to find time to refresh and recharge over the summer. It’s certainly a gift to be able to do so, and yet while time to step back has been welcomed by many, again we find ourselves as a nation faced by some enormous questions posed over the summer.
As the year drew to its close, we were confronted by distressing scenes of violence and terror. For many, particularly those in the eastern parts of Sydney, familiar sights and sounds of frolicking on the beach, or picnicking in the park are forever tainted. The cacophony of voices in the aftermath has been at times confusing, comforting, and confounding as some type of sense is made not just of what happened, but of what now.
The annual trip to the coast for many inland families changed through a concentrated spate of shark incidents, including the tragic loss of a young life. Times of joy became times of caution and anxiety.
Other families who travelled interstate might also have been caught up in bushfires, or cyclones, or damaging rain events, reflecting some of the concerns expressed in my lead article from last year’s Australian Educational Leader.
Returning to an early education centre, or to school, or to tertiary education might seem like the safest place to be after a wild and unsettling summer, at least for some of us.
We can’t hide ourselves away from the fact that our world and our communities have big challenges to face. It’s why as we start another year it is important to ground ourselves in our common purpose as educational leaders.
Our society needs educational leaders to be bold, to cast visions of hope, to be custodians of realistic optimism, and never to forget that “children and young people are human beings who face the challenge of living their own life, and of trying to live it well” (Biesta, G. (2022). World-centred education. Routledge. p.3). We are privileged to be partners with them in this.
Across this year, ACEL NSW will be tackling these important questions of purpose through a three-part podcast series. With so many different perspectives around, it will be a vibrant discussion. Keep an eye out for details over the next couple of months.
As you settle into your new year, thanks again for being part of ACEL NSW. This year will be an election for a new Executive Committee and it would be great for you to consider putting your name forward, along with some great ideas, about how we can continue to flourish as the NSW branch of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive educational leadership association.
We’re glad you’re along with us for 2026.