Public Education Award thrills

Surprised and thrilled with the win, Lila, 64, now works as a principal-in-residence with the NSW Department of Education, coaching other principals and working with universities and teachers starting out in their careers.
Describing teaching as a grand profession, she has been employed for 43 years and says she has still much to offer, thriving in her role as an educator of educators.
She said there had been many changes in teaching and learning over the past four decades but some things never changed.
“The principles of quality teaching and learning are still the same but we have far more explicit research and evidence-based practices which we employ to meet the needs of all of our students,” she said.
“There’s more emphasis on creating a strong voice for parents, students and teachers and of course, far greater access to technology which broadens their learning experiences.
“We also now have a greater understanding of post-school opportunities and work in partnership with universities and TAFE to create a blend of learning pathways.”
Lila said public education still delivered and still included teachers who were among the world’s best but it was vital to continue to strive to maintain a system which was open to all young people and to advocate for fair and full funding to maintain that excellence.
“I never want to stop working in public education and encourage young people to pursue teaching as a career as there is nothing more rewarding,” she added.
As part of the Public Education Awards, Granville East Public School won the Secretary’s Award for School Achievement over its inquiry-based learning programs which focus on investigation and problem-solving rather than students being presented with the information or answer up-front.