All State and Territory public secondary school principals’ associations will reunite into the national peak body to tackle the major challenges facing the sector’s school leaders.
On Friday afternoon, the Australian Secondary Principals' Association (ASPA) announced that the New South Wales Secondary Principals’ Council (NSWSPC) and the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals (VASSP) have formally affiliated with ASPA.
This historic re-unification brings together all state and territory public secondary school principals’ associations around the ASPA banner as the national peak body for the first time in a decade.
The move, aimed at strengthening ASPA’s national influence, ASPA will push for equitable funding, upgrading schools, addressing social segregation, shaping future schooling debates, and supporting principal wellbeing.
“This unification positions ASPA as the undisputed national voice for Australia’s more than 2200 government combined and secondary school principals, who look after well over one million students,” ASPA President Andy Mison said.
“We can better advocate for principals and the communities they lead across Australia, from securing adequate funding and resources, to ensuring principals feel supported in these demanding and essential roles. Principals now have a stronger advocate in their corner.”
NSWSPC President Craig Petersen said the move will “amplify” the voice and influence of secondary principals as they advocate for the needs of NSW public school principals and their school communities.
“It will strengthen support for all the principals dedicated to delivering quality public education,” Petersen said.
VASSP President Colin Axup said Victoria’s principals are excited to help unite school leaders from every jurisdiction as part of ASPA.
Working together, we can powerfully represent the collective interests of secondary schools nationwide and lead the national secondary education dialogue.”