The South Australian government has introduced comprehensive legislation that represents Australia's most thorough framework for protecting school staff and communities from harmful behaviour. The Education and Children's Services (Barring Notices and Other Protections) Amendment Act 2025, together with detailed Ministerial Guidelines and Supplementary Guidance, establishes a sophisticated approach to managing risks to school safety whilst maintaining educational engagement w

The quality of a nation’s education system is a direct predictor of its future prosperity, innovation, and social cohesion. At the heart of this system are our teachers and school leaders, professionals entrusted with nurturing the next generation of Australians. As the national body representing government secondary school principals, the Australian Secondary Principals' Association (ASPA) believes it is imperative to address the profound challenges facing this vital workfor

By Chris Bonnor, former President of the NSW Secondary Principals’ Council and Director of ASPA. He is co-author (with Tom Greenwell) of Lessons from Canada – an equal school system is possible. As a school principal, I spent a lot of time acting as a gatekeeper, filtering the endless demands on my school from those elected or appointed to govern it. It was probably easier back then – as every generation of retiring principals has forever claimed.