Session 01 – Sharyn O’Neill, Director General of DET W.A.

• Opened the conference and welcomed everyone.
• Told a story about her son. He asked her what she was going to talk about, and she told him the theme of the conference. His reply was: "Haven’t they got enough to do?"
• Any real change in schools is down to the Principal. And to people in classrooms. She has tried to recognise some of that. In WA, she has created the position of Executive Principal – that person works with her Executive and reports straight to her and gives feedback and advice. Her words: "Interesting dynamic." The position alternates between primary and secondary in successive years.
• She has also put practising Principals into Central and District Offices. "The expertise of school leaders is needed to run schools, to support schools, and to develop policy." She believes that the real work of education is in classrooms. But principals must be actively involved in  shaping it.
• She was pleased to see that the conference theme has a strong future flavour. Enormous potential for ICT to transform education delivery.
• Wants to comment on the future in terms of the three main groups in schools and their communities – students, teachers and parents.

• Students – "pretty much the same as they always have been" – diverse groups, individuals, testing limits, need for security and predictability. But some things have certainly changed about the students – some worrying trends in health and wellbeing – delinquency, ADHD, substance abuse, higher levels of pregnancy, higher levels of aggressive violence. Occurring at younger and younger ages – girls as often as boys in antisocial behaviour, aggressive, substance abuse. Fiona Stanley – "more young people with more problems at an earlier age, more with more than one problem. Fewer are responding to offers of treatment." Has one of highest household jobless rate – 15% in WA. 2/3 of them are with single mothers. Often lack support for parenting.
• Mental health surveys – 14% in 2000 of 4-17 years have mental health problems. Only ¼ of those have access to health services support. 2/3 have multiple mental health problems. 1 in 10 show delinquent behaviour.
• Prevalence of emotional / behavioural problems in young children getting worse – 2006 survey. Over 9% showed significant problems – over 90 boys and 50 girls in a school of 1000. Data showed increase since 2002.
• Over 40% of young people felt that they had no one who knew them well – who knew how they thought or felt. Over ¼ did not have anyone they could trust or talk with.
• Shift towards social workers / chaplains – "They are not teachers, so we can talk with them." Not judgmental. Listen and not run to a solution.
• Increased juvenile crime – more females and more violence against the person.
• She hears that "things are getting harder." Kids are harder to manage, because of the above problems and trends. So needs hard thinking by policy makers. Need to set up schools that enable young people to work in an environment that supports them.
• "The best intervention that we can make is really good teaching" – that gives young people a sense of success and accomplishment.
• Evidence that an individuals personal and social skills determine future success more than ever before. And the gap is widening between levels of social disadvantage.
• Parents are increasingly buying services to help the kids develop those skills. But lots can’t afford them = hanging out with friends and watching TV.
• Growing childhood consumerism – higher among disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Significant implications for schools and school leaders. Need to develop young people’s skills needs. Are teachers prepared to do that? Should they handle that?

• Teachers – not enough of them in WA. Major problem: how to attract and retain the best quality teachers. Aging profile of teachers. Australian average = >45 years of age. Replacing that expertise will be very hard as the Baby Boomers retire.
• How to manage Gen Y teachers – different view of their work and careers – work to enable travel; permanency is not motivating; who cares? Refuse to go country; won’t share accommodation; remote appointments are too far and too long; conditions more important than money = flexibility is the greatest demand; not career-motivated; no commitment to long-term posting; want to go in a group. Many have partners and families – higher age on entry. Many have more than one job and intend to keep them; not see teaching as a vocation; the older carrots no longer work. Managing them flexibly is the key to the future. Need to give schools the ability to tailor packages for the individuals – can’t do it at present.
• Have to be able to grant leave without pay for travel – can’t at present. Have to be able to reward staff. How to retain them in your school and accommodate their lifestyle.
• New ones won’t put up with what we did.
• “We work to live; we don't live to work.”
• Need to more creative about working out what we need to do to manage staff.

• Parents – are busy people, more than ever before. Life is basically overcommitted. More young people are left to their own devices. They are outside the realm of adult authority. Schools need respect for adult authority – hard to get that now.
• Parents can not be counted on to support whatever happens at school, especially when it comes to poor behaviour. More complaints about school decisions in cases of bad behaviour. Parents want schools to take over more and more – e.g. inculcation of values.
• Is it time for more about what schools should be actually doing? Yes. What is actually do-able in schools?
• Many strategies have served us well in  the past, but not in the future. Context of schools is changing fast. Don’t have the answers. "We need to  be more imaginative than we have in the past – all three groups have changed. You know your schools better than anyone."
• Many delivery models are straining at the seams. Need fresh ideas from conferences to learn from others.
• Need to have strong discussions.
• "You must not take gloom away from these comments. Think about the future from a range of perspectives. You will need to imagine, create and transform."
• "So will your leadership. It is up to you."