End of an era

Vol 18. Number 01, January/February 2009

By Rebecca Perry

It's a bit strange - but very reassuring - to hear a high school principal admit his own teenage years were spent 'having an absolute ball, and I never studied'.

Even so, education was never far from David Sutton's mind, after the teaching seed was planted in Year 6 at Brisbane's Wavell Heights State School.

'My teacher was a formidable man, who asked me to come to the front of the class and write on the blackboard,' he recalled.

'It was at that moment I knew I wanted to be a teacher, and I've never regretted it.'

Mr Sutton retired as principal of Brisbane State High School at the end of 2008 after a decade at the helm of one of our biggest and most prestigious secondary schools.

After graduating from the Kedron Park Teachers' College in 1964, Mr Sutton began working in primary schools, where he learnt 'the art of teaching'.

But his passion for languages meant 'opportunities to discuss Shakespeare with younger children were limited', so he moved into senior schools, before securing his first principal's posting at Proserpine State High School in 1984.

'The night before we moved there, I was looking at my kids asleep in their beds, thinking the next day I was going to pack them up and drive them a thousand kilometres away from all that they knew, purely because of their father's ego,' Mr Sutton said.

'It was a tough call but my wife, Pam, was a wonderful constant for them as we travelled around.'

His own parenting insights gave him a special understanding as he worked with high school students, instilling what he valued as the most important lessons - to appreciate love and give back to others because 'the more you give to the community, the more you get back'.

Sadly, few would have understood the poignant, personal gravity of his messages to make the most of their young lives.

Shortly before taking the top job at Brisbane State High, the eldest of his four daughters, Peta - a newly married solicitor - was killed in a car accident.

'It made me able to help other families who have experienced tragedy, but it was the most horrific price to pay,' he said.

'But I am filled with optimism because I have learnt a lot about resilience, that life is out there to be lived and it can still be wonderful'.

His lessons have rubbed off on many of his students - particularly at 'State High', where more than 2000 students from the local South Brisbane area and those picked for their academic, sporting and artistic merits are taught by 200 staff in a unique and vibrant school culture.

'For students here, it's like being in the proverbial chocolate shop, and they have told me "it's cool to be good, and cool to want to be good ",' he said.

'When we leave this world, all we leave behind are memories for other people, and teachers have a unique opportunity to truly leave something positive through their students.

'Teaching is a calling, not a job, so you mould children the minute you start talking, and continue to influence them long after they leave school.

'We are often too busy to step back and think about the significance of what we do, but we can make a difference, and every teacher in every classroom is doing that and often saving lives in the process.'

Although Mr Sutton has closed the book on his 46-year teaching career, don't expect to find him fishing on a beach near you just yet.

'I'll be helping Queensland University of Technology Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Coaldrake, work on the content of pre-service teacher courses,' he said.

'And my wife has a list of jobs for me to do.'