Thank you to all NT school principals retiring at the end of 2020 for your school managenent and leadership.

And at last the NT News (14/1) reveals some good news on the recruitment front. Of the 49 principal vacancies, 47 are being filled from within the Territory, with only two people appointed from interstate.

Finally, home grown leaders are being recognised, appreciated and promoted into top level leadership positions. This long overdue move deserves applause.

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I hope that as children and students begin returning to school within the next fortnight, they will not be confronted with the same challenges that distorted the 2020 academic year.

How schools, staff and students deserve plaudits for the way they coped with last year. But they don’t need to repeat in 2021.

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The one good thing about education in 2020 was the “disappearance” from the school agenda of NAPLAN tests. I can only hope that they will stay gone this year and forever. I am no fan of this testing regime. It needs to stay gone.