Principals from across the country have started arriving in Canberra today for the national principals’ forum being held at Parliament House this week.
The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, will tomorrow welcome more than 150 principals and principal association representatives to Canberra for a two-day National Conversation about the Rudd Government’s education reform agenda. A list of participants is attached below.
The Rudd Government understands that quality teaching and school leadership is critical to improving student achievement.
Discussion will focus on the challenges our principals are facing on the ground and how the Education Revolution will help lift educational outcomes for all students.
Topics at the forum will include the new national curriculum, assessment, reporting, literacy and numeracy, school infrastructure, Indigenous education and student wellbeing.
In the opening session, the Minister will preview the myschool.edu.au website which will provide parents and the community with comprehensive information about every Australian school for the first time early next year.
Principals not attending the forum in Canberra are encouraged to send their contribution via email to principalsforum@deewr.gov.au or may be able to participate in a local principals’ forum organised by local members of the Federal Parliament.
The Rudd Government is obviously investing an unprecedented amount of new funding in education but there are also some fundamental changes taking place which we want to discuss directly with principals.
The Government is working cooperatively with all school sectors to deliver the Smarter Schools reform agenda; $1.5 billion for disadvantaged school communities, $540 million to improve literacy and numeracy and $550 million for quality teaching and school leadership.
Principals from government, Catholic and independent schools in each State and Territory will attend the forum. Principals were selected with the assistance of the six national principal associations operating throughout Australia.
For a copy of the agenda, fact sheets and a list of participating principals please visit: www.deewr.gov.au/principalsforum