Every great leader was once a student:

Being a leader at a school is an important community role. It is also one that is often undervalued.

This year, for the first time, the professional development institute for school principals is conducting a Student Principal for a Day on Thursday 6th June. I want to urge you and your local school to be part of it. 

The day is to encourage students to take part in leadership opportunities and contribute to a national online discussion about student issues - which should be terrific. The student principal for the day will also be given 'honorary principal' duties such as holding an assembly or visiting classrooms. That will be up to the individual school and the Principal and 'P' plated student principal.

The idea behind it is twofold. 

First, we want to encourage more young people to become teachers. We're getting pretty old - like me. No, I'm not retirement age yet but I am near it and there are many like me. I like to think I keep up with the latest educational developments and technology, and the results of my students suggest I'm getting it right the vast majority of the time, but we can't keep working forever. So many young people today don't think about becoming teachers. Not only do they think it doesn't pay well enough (I agree!), but they also don't think it's very 'exciting'. Yet it's a very fulfilling and demanding job. It's a dynamic, wonderful, humbling and privileged profession.

Within the teaching profession, our pool of leaders - or school principals - is also getting smaller, and more and more demands are being placed on them.

The second reason is to reinforce the importance of the teaching profession to the broader community. Everyone goes to school and a well-run school is a fundamental part of community infrastructure. We have a responsible role to the community and to your child. All teachers, but especially school principals, operate in a complex and diverse context. I don't know of any school that doesn't welcome the input and contribution of parents and the broader community.

To find out more about Student Principal for a Day check out the website. Schools have until 28th May to nominate their student principal.