Release Date: 2008-03-20
Original Link: http://presszoom.com/story_144062.html
A major overhaul to the way principals are appointed to public schools will provide communities greater certainty and confidence in the leadership of their school. Announcing the changes today, Education and Training Minister Mark McGowan said the new appointment system would allow larger State schools to select principals locally.
(PressZoom.com) - A major overhaul to the way principals are appointed to public schools will provide communities greater certainty and confidence in the leadership of their school.
Announcing the changes today, Education and Training Minister Mark McGowan said the new appointment system would allow larger State schools to select principals locally.
Mr McGowan said the new system would kick in for around 600 schools at the beginning of Term Two, ending years of centralised, complex recruitment practices for principals.
The Minister said he had directed the Department of Education and Training (DET) to modernise its recruitment of principals following the release of the Gerard Daniels report last year.
“The appointment of principals has long been a source of frustration and concern for teachers, principals and communities,” he said.
“I have also had a number of representations about this issue over the past year from local communities, local members of parliament and members of the rural and remote education advisory committee.
“As a result of the current system, which operates on a ‘pool’ arrangement’, some schools have had as many as seven principals in four years.
“While the pooling arrangement suits the requirements of an agency the size of the Department of Education and Training, it does not necessarily represent the best option for principals and communities, who would like more stability.
“The new model will aim to strike a better balance between the workforce requirements of the DET, the needs of communities and the promotional aspirations of staff.”
Mr McGowan said under the new process as a position became vacant, it would be advertised.
“Previously, principals applied to a ‘pool’ and were allocated to schools according to need,” he said.
“This new system will give local communities and principals a far greater say while still having the appropriate checks and balances in place to ensure a fair recruitment system.
“The directors of individual education districts will be delegated the responsibility of facilitating and managing appointments through a selection panel.
“Consistent with the practise in many other public sector agencies, the panel will now include an external independent member, who could also be a member of the school community.”
The Minister said the changes announced today were the first steps towards improving the current system in order to minimise long-term acting principal arrangements and to provide an efficient, less burdensome process for existing and potential principals
“It will also ensure the more efficient selection and appointment of the most suitable person to take on a school leadership role,” he said.
Mr McGowan said the next step would be to implement changes to the appointment of principals for around 187 smaller schools, whose requirements were different because of their size and location.
“Consistent with the Gerard Daniels’ recommendations, the changes to the appointment of principals is one of the many important initial steps we have taken to make the recruitment systems in our public schools more sophisticated, flexible and streamlined,” he said.
Other steps taken include:
an ‘early offer recruitment program’ giving immediate permanency and higher pay to graduates going to the country, resulting in more than 600 graduates being employed at the start of the 2008 school year;
making changes to the country transfer system; and
offering more than 450 long-serving country teachers permanency to acknowledge their contribution to country teaching.
“There is still more to be done and the State Government will leave no stone unturned in efforts to better staff public schools,” the Minister said.
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