'Empowered' principals leave conference on a high

2 March 2011

Queensland's 1200-plus state school principals will return to their schools with a clearer vision for the future and a greater unity of purpose after spending two days together in Brisbane.

In the ringing endorsement of one, it was 'reassuring, invigorating, empowering'.

Department of Education and Training Director-General Julie Grantham told the 2011 Principals' Conference a significant investment had been made in setting a launchpad for successful education reform in Queensland.

'We've got that genesis of where we need to start,' Ms Grantham said. 'Now we're all set up to head in the right direction.'

The principals were told the arrival of the National Curriculum next year challenged schools and teachers to take the focus off 'what' is to be taught and concentrate on 'how well we're going to teach'.

Getting to know students and differentiating teaching approaches to accommodate their differences would be part of this, Ms Grantham said.

The enthusiastic response of principals was summed up by Pacific Pines State School principal Kathryn Edwards who described the conference, the first-ever gathering of all principals in Queensland, as 'excellent'.

Biloela State School acting principal Matt Sahlqvist echoed the sentiment, adding: 'It was great that we were getting a focused, consistent message, and we were all getting it together.'

Narinder Singh from Flying Fish Point State School agreed. 'It was great to hear our work was valued, is valued and will continue be valued, from key people,' she said.

'The conference was reassuring, invigorating, empowering. This is a time of great reform, great change, in Queensland education, as the Director-General said, and it's exciting to be a part of it.'

Speakers addressing the conference included Premier Anna Bligh, Education Minister Cameron Dick, Professor Ben Levin of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Deputy Director-General Operations Dr Richard Eden and Assistant Director-General Student Services Patrea Walton.

Ms Grantham urged principals to use performance data effectively to target areas for improvement, and said leadership, teaching and curriculum were the three cornerstones to providing the best possible education to the full range of students across Queensland.