It’s been a big month for education in Australia. It seems like each month brings change and possibility which demand we take stock of where we are, and where we’re headed.
The beginning of October brought hundreds of colleagues to Sydney for our annual ACEL National Conference. You probably saw a lot of the publicity of the event, and rightly so. What’s often less evident is the outstanding contribution made by ACEL National Office staff to make it all flow smoothly. Thank you so much to our dedicated staff who do so much that is often unseen, but not unappreciated.
And then, at the culmination of the conference, it was time to say a huge “thanks” to Dr Barb Watterston, outgoing CEO of ACEL, for her commitment, dedication, vision, and energy over these past five years. Many of us might remember how our world was turned upside down, inside out, and any number of other permutations of awkwardness when COVID-19 hit. Imagine coming into a national organisation and being thrown this curve ball? Dr Watterston, you have served us all with distinction, and the NSW Branch honours your dedicated, responsive, and supportive leadership of the association over these past few challenging years.
Now, on to the future. We are delighted to welcome Lisa Newland as ACEL’s new CEO. She is well known to our association through her work in delivering professional learning at a national level, and, as the largest branch across the nation, we’re thrilled to stand with her as together we embrace the opportunities that lie ahead.
The dust will soon settle on the final academic term of the year. For secondary, and combined, schools, there will be a lot of energy and anxiety invested over these next few weeks into HSC examinations. While this has its right place, it’s also important to keep in mind that this is one marker only of the importance of education across a (mostly) 13-year journey.
As one example only, I well remember the student who, I thought at the time, should have been removed from the school when in Year 11 because of their perpetual disruption to the learning of others, and their undisguised disdain for policy and procedure, particularly regarding appropriate student behaviour in and beyond the classroom. At the time, at least in my memory, there was no World Teachers’ Day, and I doubt few of us would have felt it worth celebrating. It was a time when we all just got on with the job, and some of us enjoyed the unqualified support of families and caregivers that seems sadly lacking for too many these days.
It’s therefore a joy to flesh out this story in those years well beyond school. This student took some time to find their feet but eventually found their way to one of NSW’s leading independent schools as a Head of Department. Who, in those challenging days of student defiance and disruption, could have prophesied that such tenacity, commitment, and dedication would end up in an appointment to a college committed to an aggressively academic enrolment policy? It’s a sobering reminder that whatever happens with final exams and ATARs in 2025, there is a lot of life beyond that…and it is to be welcomed. It’s also a sober reminder to teachers not to constrain the expectations of students, some of whom take a few years to realise their potential well beyond the school gate – it’s a timely reminder that what students do at school is not the totality of what they offer society and their community more broadly.
Which brings us to the recently minted review of school bullying. Broadly speaking, it seems like a good thing. However, as a colleague of mine and I recently reflected on it, “schools need time, coaching and systems that support teachers and professional staff to do [this] work”.
It’s a powerful reminder that the real work of leaders is to create and sustain cultures, including time and space, that prioritise the needs of teachers which lead to learning that takes place in their classes.
Leadership research is unambiguous – leaders have a powerful, but indirect, influence on what happens in classrooms. And let’s not forget that the classroom is truly “where the magic happens”.
Which brings us to World Teachers’ Day a few days ago. It’s appropriate to celebrate the extraordinary service and generosity our profession extends, but surely, they do this every day and are deserving of this recognition every day! Yes, a particular acknowledgement is welcome, but I’m confident that most teachers and school leaders would also welcome daily honouring of their work – after all, every day this year the educational aspirations of our nation are entrusted to over half a million professionals!
Thank you to all who turn up, but not just on October 31, but every day of the academic year…even when sometimes it doesn't feel like you’d like to. Our nation, our families, our students, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
In this sense, every day is World Teacher’ Day…and rightly so! We salute you. We honour you. And every time a new policy restricts, constrains, or undermines your privileged work, we’ll advocate for you, because our nation depends upon you.
Thanks.
Keep going.
Paul Kidson
ACEL NSW Branch President