TERM 3, 2020
Down the road of success Northern Territory primary school principal Jacklyn Roberts says her life changed almost four years ago when she visited Canada’s Alert Bay, a small village northeast of Vancouver, on a study tour examining school leadership and improvement. She spoke with Deniz Uzgun.
Jacklyn, you’re originally from Queensland. What motivated you to become a principal in the Top End? I believe that the NT is an innovative and exciting system to work in and that it truly has ‘students at the centre’ as its moral compass point. The system is small enough that people really matter, yet large enough to make a substantial difference to the education of students. There is an amazing sense of collegiality amongst our principals and teachers that is not determined by the size or geography of your school, but rather the common goal of bringing our students to the forefront of academic excellence and strong social and emotional wellbeing. My family’s shift to the NT was also about lifestyle – what isn’t to love about the beauty of the NT and the glorious weather?
