Message from the President

Welcome to 2012!

We have had an extraordinary few months in education. The Gonski report, the recent Grattan Institute report Catching up: Learning from the best school systems in East Asia as well as the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Professional Learning Convention have fuelled discussions about education across the country. Education is a hot topic in many arenas and it is with interest I note the number of players not traditionally acquainted with the education space who are positioning themselves to play a role. Given state and federal priorities relating to increased autonomy and expanded community partnerships, much of which has merit, we are at an interesting juncture. Two key questions remain. The first is how do we ensure that these relationships do not result in non-systemic bolt-on (ad hoc) programs?  Another question also remains in relation to quality control for the delivery of such programs and partnerships. Whose role is this or is it left to individual schools to manage? There is clearly a role for a professional organization such as ACE to share their knowledge and I would urge all members to consider how they may contribute to the discussions at hand.

We are in for an interesting 12 months ahead.

Best wishes to all for a fruitful, rich and educational 2012

Annette Rome
President Victorian Branch