Wednesday, 9 February 2022

School principal appointments

Ms BATH (Eastern Victoria) (18:19): (1729) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Education, the Honourable James Merlino in the other place, and it relates to the appointment and reappointment of school principal contracts in the state education system. I am speaking specifically in relation to constituents who have raised this with me, but it could well be seen across the state and utilised across the state. The action I am seeking is for there to be a greater weight of parent voice, school council voice and transparency around these appointments—either renewal of current principals or the awarding of new principal roles and also assistant roles.

In our state our children deserve the very best of educational outcomes. They deserve for leaders in our schools—our principals and assistant principals—to be focused solely on student wellbeing and student outcomes; excellent communication within the staff and within the parent and school community; good governance; good managerial skills; and potentially and hopefully budgeting skills. What we need and want and what students deserve is the very best that the system can offer. That may well be people coming in from overseas, if their situation and qualifications are appropriate, or lateral movement from different states. The Department of Education and Training should be picking those people who are the best and brightest.

Now, sometimes in our system there are principals who have been in the system a long time and, let us be honest, are cruising. I have had that situation explained to me by one of my constituents and am very concerned that that is not really benefiting the students or the town. So it is really important that for this education system the minister refreshes this to actually give more weight to parents. Parents understand. They live in the community and they can really seek out and give weight to the best principal.

Now, let me be very straight. In my time teaching in the state education system for nine years I met some outstanding teachers and outstanding principals, and they are the type of people who we want to see flourish and work throughout our system. Also in my role I am often contacted by principals who do an amazing job. I think our students deserve the very best, and so I am calling on the minister to change the process to enable greater parent voice and oversight for the best outcomes.