01 Feb 2017
Welcome back for the 2017 school year. I hope everyone had a relaxing and refreshing break.
I'd like to particularly welcome students (along with their parents) and staff starting in our schools for the first time. May the year ahead be engaging and rewarding – a wonderful year of teaching and learning.
We know the world is transforming profoundly and quickly, and it is our great responsibility to prepare our children and young people so that they can flourish through such change. When our children finish school and enter the evermore demanding world beyond, we will know of our success by their ability to live healthy, productive and fulfilling lives.
The challenge for public education is to ensure that every student is engaged in school and successfully learning – and this requires a shared responsibility of every person working in public education committed to the improvement of every child, every teacher, every leader and every school.
Mark Scott
Secretary, Department of Education