Although retired, as a life member of the Northern Territory Principals Association, I have chosen to write this in the present tense.

School leaders need to be affirmative, forthright, bold and adventuresome.

We ought not to be so worried about preserving our future that we are frightened to have counter opinions.

We do not have to agree with everything offered by superordinates. We should contribute to educational debate in a living ‘two way’ transactional manner.

We ought not be people who respond with ‘how high’ when told to jump.

Often, the command to leap comes from those who would not know and have not been anywhere near schools for eons of time.

We need to participate in healthy and robust educational debate, not be weakly acquiescent to the opinions or demands of others.