in alliance · Hobart Tas 7001 Australia Executive officer Jan Butler T: +61 3 6234 2114 F: +61 3...

in alliance

in this issue

Broadening the Horizons for GirlsThe Alliance Annual Conference 2008

Volume 41 September 2008

www.agsa.org.au

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From the President...Susan Just

in Alliance 2009 Editorial Deadlines

VolumE 42 Friday 6 march 2009

Theme: Girls and Science

VolumE 43 Friday 31 July 2009

Theme: Girls in Cyberspace

Articles and photographs should be emailed to the Editor at

[email protected]. Please read the STYLE SHEET at agsa.org.au/magazine.php

for guidance before submitting articles.

The Alliance of Girls’ Schools

GPO Box 55 Hobart Tas 7001 Australia

Executive officer Jan Butler T: +61 3 6234 2114 F: +61 3 6234 2115 M: 0417 962 466 E: [email protected]

President Susan Just Canberra Girls’ Grammar School, ACT

Executive Beth Blackwood Presbyterian Ladies’ College, WA

Kitty Guerin Our Lady of Mercy College, NSW

Christine Jenkins Korowa Anglican Girls’ School, Vic

Robyn Kronenberg St Michael’s Collegiate School, Tas

Roz Mexted Nga Tawa School, Marton, NZ

Belinda Provis Seymour College, SA

Karen Spiller St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School, Qld

Lynne Thomson St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School, WA

I wish all of our member schools a successful second semester. Our June Alliance of Girls’ Schools Conference will remain memorable for me. As I said in my opening speech, we had established some particular criteria to be met for the conference:

• Relevantandinspiringspeakers• Strategies,ideasandseedsofideastotakeaway

with you• Timefordiscussionandcatchingupwithyour

colleagues• Easeoftraveltoandfromourschool,theconferencevenue

Havingnowhadsometimetoreflectupontheconference, I can say with some confidence that the speakersprovideduswithrelevantinformationandagreat deal to reflect upon.

SallyHelgesendevelopedherpresentationaroundthreemajortrends:diversity,customisationandthebreakdownoftraditionalvalues.Shetoldusthatwe,aseducators of girls, had a role in helping girls to become articulate and comfortable about what they bring to the world.

PeterVardyaskeduswhetherwewantedourschoolsto be lamps or mirrors in society. We need to help our young people to understand failure, pain and suffering. We need to help our young people lead accountable lives.Hewentontotellusthatthemostimportantquestiontoaskis‘Whatsortofpersonareyougoingto become?’

Sarah Maddison told us that Feminism is not a dirty wordandgirlsneedtoknowaboutthehistoryofwomen.Weshouldnotbeignorantofourselves.

Thepanelprovidedusallwiththestoriesofdiversewomenwhohaveeachfollowedadifferentpathinlife.AnneDeSalisbelievesthatitisimportanttoteachgirlstothinkforthemselves,actwithconfidenceandintegrity.AnnieO’Rourkehighlightedtheimportance

ofdevelopinggoodnetworksthroughoutourcareersandlives.AnneHendersonremindedusofEnidLyonswhowasneverafraidtotakearisk,butalwaysheldfasttoherprinciples.ThelifeandworkofLyndallMcLeanremindedmethatethicsandintegrityimpactgreatly upon our career choices.

Iwouldliketoconcludetheseintroductorycommentswith part of my own speech made at the beginning oftheconference.ThethemeofourconferenceisBroadeningtheHorizonsforGirlsandIbelievethatgirls’schoolslivethisthemeeachdayinourwork.Toachieveourgoals,however,wemustliveinasocietywhich not only recognises the important leadership rolewhichwomenhavetoplay,butprovidesanenvironmentinwhichwomencancombinefamilyandworkinflexiblewayswhichdonotlimittheircareeraspirations.

I would suggest that if we are to broaden the horizons foryoungwomenthenwewillneedtomakesignificant changes to the social fabric of Australian society. Just as we can no longer accept incremental change in the number of women who hold leadership positions in corporations, we can also no longer accept that women should feel comfortable with minimal careeradvancementbecausetheyhavetheadditionalresponsibility of caring for their families. As Justice Mary Gaudron says our country must fully utilise its intellectual capital, at least half of which resides in the femalesex.

IbelievethatGirls’Schoolscanofferoneofthevoicesforsocialchange.Ifweareunabletospeakabouttheimportance of female leadership, then it will appear that the status quo is OK. We must do as we say and ensurethatweactivelypromoteaspiringleadersfromwithintheranksofourteachersandmanagementstaff.Wemustofferflexibleworkarrangementsandenableour female staff members and encourage them to flourish in their careers.

Susan Just

For

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DiA

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Visit t

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ails 1 September 2008 RegistrationsopenforStudentLeadershipConference2009

19-21 November 2008 Strategic leadership Institute, Boston, Massachusetts. A unique professional developmentopportunityforWomen,organisedbytheNCGS,inconjunctionwiththe Simmons School of Management

14-18 January 2009 StudentLeadershipConference2009,StHilda’sSchool,Southport,Queensland.Anot-to-be-missedeventforyour2009studentleaders

17-19 June 2009 NationalCoalitionofGirls’SchoolsAnnualConference,HoltonArmsSchool,Bethesda, Maryland, US

Please note that the Alliance Conference is now to be biennial with the next conference at Ascham School, Sydney, in late May or early June 2010.

From the Editor...Jan Butler

SusanJust,AlliancePresident,workedextremelyhardoveratleasteighteen months to produce a memorable conference which enabled memberstogatherinCanberraandlistentoarangeofengagingspeakerswhochallengedustoensureweare‘broadeningthehorizonsforgirls’.Wethankherforinvitingsomanyinterestingspeakersandforhercarefularrangement of the program. Included in this magazine is a piece by one of the delegates reflecting on what the conference meant to her as a first time delegate.

With the recent decision to publish in Alliance only twice a year and providearticleswithmoredepthcomesthismagazinewithpapersfromtherecentAllianceconference.WehavefeaturedKeynotespeakersandworkshoppresenterswhohaveprovideduswitharticlessuitableforprinting.TheseandotherpresentationscanbefoundontheAlliancewebsitebyclickingonPastEventsandchoosingtherelevantspeaker.Wehavealso included a piece about the South African Girls’ Association conference as well as some notes from our two student ambassadors who attended theNationalCoalitionofGirls’SchoolsInternationalGirls’ForuminCleveland,OhioinJune.

Anotherdecisionbasedontherecentmembersurveyisthechangefromanannualconferencetoabiennialone.Thenextconferencewillnowbe

heldin2010atAschamSchoolinSydney,andwehopethiswillbeoneveryone’scalendarasa‘must’whilegivingmoreopportunitiestoattendthemanyotherconferencesandprofessionallearningactivitiesthatareavailabletoeducators.

At the Annual General Meeting held in Canberra in June some changes weremadetotheconstitution.TheseincludespecifyingmoreclearlythetermsofofficeoftheExecutivemembersandtheconstituencywhichcanvoteforthem,aswellasallowingvotingbyemail.YoucanfindacopyoftheupdatedconstitutionontheAlliancewebsiteunderResources.

AnnMildenhall,PrincipalofDiocesanSchoolforGirlsinAuckland,NewZealand,hasretiredfromtheExecutiveaftermorethansixyears,andIwouldliketoacknowledgetheworkthatAnnhasdonefortheAllianceandthankherforhercontribution.DespitebeingfarawayovertheTasman,becauseAnnhasalwaysbeenanexcellentemailcorrespondent,followupfrommeetingshasbeenpromptandhelpfulandwehavevaluedherideasandsuggestionsforprogressingtheAlliance.WewelcomeRozMexted,PrincipalofNgaTawaSchoolinMarton,NewZealand,totakeherplace.

We hope you enjoy reading this latest issue of in Alliance.

Jan Butler

TheHathawayBrownSchoolwasthemainvenuefortheconference,whiledelegatesweretreatedtoadelightfulpicnicdinneratLaurelSchool’scountrycampus.Amongthemanytopicscoveredwere:• DetailsofanewNCGSresearchprojectexaminingthebenefitsofsingle-sexeducationforgirlsandyoungwomen:Dr.LindaSax,Associate

Professor,UCLAGraduateSchoolofEducation&InformationStudies,presentedfindingsofherstudy—uniqueinscopeandscale—ofnationaldatacomparinggraduatesofsingle-sexschoolstoco-edschoolswhileaccountingforsocio-economicvariables

• Professionaldevelopmentseminar,Articulating the Value of Girls’ Schools

• ApanelledbyBillChrist,HeadofHathawayBrownSchool:What Should Girls’ Schools Look Like in the 21st Century?

• Analysisoftoday’stoughcollegeadmissionsclimateforgirls

• Teachinggirlsandyoungwomen(aswellastheirparents) how to be smart about the media

• Bestpracticesin

• S.T.E.M.andPathwaystoCareers• GlobalInitiatives• ServiceLearning/CommunityEngagement• CollegeCounsellinginToday’sEnvironment• Research• PublicRelations• Round-tablediscussionsbyjobtype

WhitneyRansomewasfarewelledasshepreparedtostepdownafter17yearsasNCGSCo-ExecutiveDirector.AtaspecialDinner&Reception,thedelegatescelebratedWhitty’sextraordinaryleadership,hertirelessadvocacy,and her many, many accomplishments on behalf of single-sexeducationforgirls.

National Coalition of Girls’ Schools Conference, Cleveland, Ohio, June 2008Reinventing Girls’ Education: New Models, New Paradigms

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Part of the Australian contingent

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Conference Reflections from a First-TimerMarcia Chock Man, Deputy Principal, St Patrick’s College Townsville

My inaugural attendance at an Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia ConferencewasenabledinJunethisyearthroughatravel/study/researchgrantIreceivedfromtheDP/APABranchoftheAssociationofCatholicSecondarySchoolsinQueensland.Asmyschool,StPatrick’sCollegeinTownsville,isarelativenewcomertoAlliancemembership, I chose to attend the annual conference in order to maximisethebenefitstoourstaffandstudentsofourliaisonwiththeAllianceanditsmemberschools.MyexperienceattheconferencehasprovedthatIwascertainlynotmistakeninanticipatingthatthegathering with its specific focus on broadening the horizons for girls wouldhavemuchtoofferStPatrick’sinthedevelopmentofourstudents as leaders of the future.

Thekeynotespeakersandpanellistswerecharacterisedbytheirexpertise,eloquenceanddiversity,eachprovidingchallengestotheaudiencetoenhancetheopportunitiesprovidedtotheyoungwomeninschools.Theselectionofknowledgeablespeakersfromoutsidethetraditionaleducational circles allowed a refreshing perspectiveandofferedinspirationalmessages.Theaddressesweredeliveredby an international leadership consultant, aspokespersonfortheWomen’sElectoralLobby,avalueseducationspecialist,amental health researcher, a superannuation funds director, a recognised leader on sustainability and an architect, who urged conference delegates to support girls to bearticulate,creativeandinnovative,toimproviseandbeadaptableinanever-changingglobalenvironment,totakeamoreactiveroleinpoliticsandgovernmentpolicydevelopment,toengagein the protection of human rights,toworktowardsfuturesustainability, and to learn to becomfortablewithparadox.

Thewiderangeofworkshopsconducted by member schools made the decision to choose only two options a particularly difficult one. Thevariouspresentationsofferedeffectivepracticesandmodels designed to enhance the academic, emotional and spiritual attributes of emerging

leadersinourschools.FromtheworkshopsIattended,Igainedanunderstandingoftheimportanceofdiscoveringmoreabouttheuniquecultureofone’sownschoolanddevelopingstrategiestotacklesomeof the problematic issues, and I participated in aspects of a program which concentrates on refreshing leadership and management qualities ofstaffmembers,asaprecursortoimprovingacademicandpersonaloutcomes for students.

AninevitablebenefitofattendinganyconferenceistheoccasionforinformalnetworkingandtheAllianceofGirls’SchoolsConferencewascertainlynoexceptioninthisregard.TheconferenceattractededucatorsfromallpartsofAustraliaandNewZealand,andfromgovernment,independentandCatholicsectors.Iwelcomedthe opportunity to establish new contacts and share stories and experienceswithpersonnelfromdiversebackgrounds,particularlyduringthebustrips,overmealtimesandinthequeueforthebest

coffeeever.Asaresultofaconversationwith a colleague at the Conference Dinner, theYear8studentsfromStPatrick’sCollegearenowcorrespondingviaemailwiththeircounterpartsfromRangiRuruGirls'SchoolinChristchurch,NewZealand.

Thisbriefaccountofmyexperienceasa first-timer at the Alliance Conference hopefullyconveysthatIfoundittobemostenjoyable,informative,engagingandinspiring.IeagerlyanticipatethenextconferenceinSydneyin2010.

“An inevitable benefit of attending any conference is the

occasion for informal networking...”

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AbstractAustralia was once a world leader in the struggle for gender equality. It is nowclear,however,thatrecentdecadeshaveseentheundoingofmanyearlierachievements.Despitetherecentappointmentofwomentocertainhigh profile political roles, the glass ceiling remains firmly in place. Can schoolschallengeyoungwomentoplayamoreactiveroleinpoliticsorgovernmentpolicydevelopment?Whatshouldyoungwomenknowinorder to ensure that Australian democracy does not let them down?

IntroductionThetitleoftoday’ssessionisFrom schoolgirl to world leader: What girls need to know to change the world and I’m going to reflect on thisissue,inpart,bytalkingaboutthisreportthatIauthoredlastyear,withEmmaPartridgefromtheUniversityoftechnology,Sydney.It’sthereportofthegenderauditweundertookfortheDemocraticAuditofAustralia – a larger project headed at the timebyProfessorMarianSawerattheANU,whichisinvestigatingthehealthofAustraliandemocracy.Thereportistitled‘HowwelldoesAustralianDemocracyServeAustralianWomen?’

ThereportsetouttoconsidertheextenttowhichAustraliandemocracyhasachievedasusbstantivegenderequality.Anditcertainlymakesthecasethatinrecentyearswehavebeen‘goingbackwards’onthisquestioninanumber of ways.

Butfirst,it’sperhapsusefultosayaquickword about what we should understand ‘genderequality’tomean.

Genderequalityisacomplexgoalthatrequiresgovernmentstoaddressbothequalityofopportunitiesandsex-baseddifferences.Insimpleterms,achievinggenderequalityshouldmeanthatanindividual’srightsor opportunities, including those of democratic participation, do not dependontheirgender.Inmanypoliticaldebates,however,theconceptof equality is often reduced to a simplistic understanding that emphasises sameness.Asfeministtheoristshaveargued,thistypeofreductionismisinadequateasitfailstoacknowledgethatasubstantiveequalityalso requires a recognition of women’s and men’s differences, and an acknowledgementthatgovernmentprogramsandpoliciesaffectwomenand men differently.

Thegoalofgenderequalityisfurthercomplicatedbythefactthatwomen are not a homogenous group. A gender-equal democracy must neither discriminate against nor between women. Australian women are IndigenousandnonIndigenous,culturallyandlinguisticallydiverse,lesbian,bisexual,transgenderandheterosexual,ablebodiedanddisabled,richandpoor,mothersandcarers,workers,underemployedandunemployedandsoon.Genderequalityisnota‘onesizefitsall’proposition.

So,turningtoourreportweconsideredanumberofkeycomponentsintheprovisionofgenderequality,specifically:

1 Thelegislativeframeworkthatisintendedtoeliminatediscriminationagainst women;

2 ThelevelofrepresentationofwomeninvariousspheresofAustralianlife;

3 Thepolicymachinerythatwasdevelopedinordertomonitortheimpact of public policy on women; and

4 Thedegreetowhichwomen’snon-governmentorganisationsareconsultedwith,haveaccessto,andaresupportedintheirrelationshipswithgovernment.

On the whole, the picture that emerged from this assessment was not positive.WhileAustraliawasonceaworldleaderintheglobalstruggleforgenderequality,thisreportmakesclearthatAustralianolongeraspires

to such a title, and indeed has undone many ofthecommitmentsandachievementsofanearlierperiod.Thisismostobviouslytruewith regard to the dismantling of women’s policy machinery and the silencing of the women’snon-governmentsector.Whilethebody of legislation designed to protect women from discrimination remains substantially intact,itisevidentthatonitsownthelegislativeframeworkisinadequatetoensurea substantial political equality between women and men measured against the indicatorsIhavejustoutlined.

Thereportalsoraisessomeseriousconcernsabouttheextenttowhichsuccessivedecades

offeministactivismandvaryinglevelsofgovernmentcommitmenthavefailedtoachievealastinggenderequality.AboveallelseitdocumentsthenecessityforongoingpressureonAustraliangovernmentsfromadvocatesforgenderequality.Wherethispressurehasbeenweakorabsent,governmentsinbothnationalandsub-nationaljurisdictionshaveeitherneglectedoractivelyresistedthisaspectofdemocraticpoliticalequality.Thisfindingisparticularlyrelevantandimportantinthinkingaboutwhatgirlsneedtoknow.

I’ll briefly summarise our findings in relation to these four central aspects of gender equality.

1.The legislative frameworkThereportdemonstratesthat,whiletheAustralianlegislativeframeworkiscriticalinestablishingthe‘minimumstandards’forgenderequality,itdoesnotguaranteewomen’shumanrightsandensureasubstantivegenderequality.Wealsofoundthatthelegislationitselfisnotascomprehensiveasitmightbe,andhasbeensubjecttoactivepoliticalundermining.

ThestruggleforgenderequalityinAustraliahasproducedasignificantbodyoflegislationthatprovidesvaryingdegreesofprotectionforwomenincertaincircumstances.Thisincludessexdiscriminationlegislationatfederal,stateandterritorylevels.

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From schoolgirl to world leader: What girls need to know to change the world

Dr Sarah Maddison, School of Social Sciences and International Studies, University of New South Wales

“Can schools challenge young women to play a

more active role in politics or government policy

development?”

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Continued overleaf...

Our assessment of the success of anti-discrimination law in Australia ismixed.Thelegislationhasundoubtedlyhadapositivesymboliceffect.Ithasalsohelpedremoveanumberoflegalbarrierstowomen’sparticipationintheworkforce,givingthemaccesstoagreaterrangeofjobopportunities. It has significantly changed people’s ideas about acceptable workplacebehaviourandithasraisedwomen’sownexpectationsthattheywillreceiveequaltreatmentintheworkforce.

TherearehoweverareanumberofcriticismsofAustraliananti-discriminationlegislation.Theindividualcomplaint-basedmechanism,andtheprivatisationofcomplaintsthroughaconciliationprocess,seesapproximately99percentofcomplaintsfailtoprogressbeyondconciliation. We also found a confusing and fragmented set of legislation atthenationalandsub-nationallevels.

Equalemploymentopportunitylegislationisgenerallyweak,andhashadonlylimitedsuccessindeliveringmoreequitableemploymentoutcomes.Part of the reason for this is the gender bias of organisational cultures that reflects the broader gendered power relations in society, and draws upon gendereddefinitionsofmerit,skillandwork.

OtherlimitationsofthelegislativeframeworkincludethefactthatAustralia has no bill of rights and no constitutional guarantee of equality of thesexesbeforethelaw.Withoutthisbasis,anti-discriminationandequalopportunityinstrumentscanonlybepartiallyeffective.

Wealsofoundthatthelegislativeframeworkhasprovenvulnerableto political undermining through under-resourcing and unsympathetic administrativearrangements,particularly in recent years. More seriously, the core content of the legislation itself was threatened by theHowardgovernment’sattemptstoamendtheSexDiscriminationAct(SDA),inresponsetotheMcBaincase.

In any case, legislation alone was nevergoingtobesufficienttobringabout equality for women. Indeed, far from being guaranteed by legislation, genderequalityisfragile.Itdependsheavilyonpoliticalandinstitutionalsupport,bothofwhichareeasilywithdrawn.Overthepastdecadewehaveseenadeliberatewithdrawalofsupportforhumanrightslegislation,includingsexdiscriminationlegislation,bytheHowardgovernment.Feministsmustnowexpendconsiderableenergystrugglingtomaintainthegainsthatweremadebetween1970and1990.

2. RepresentationClearlywomenstilldonothaveequalrepresentationinmanyspheresofpublic and political life – in many cases, far from it. We maybe didn’t need thisreporttotellusthat,butitdoesprovidesomeverydetaileddataasevidenceforthecontinuedunder-representationofwomen–andI’lljustquoteafewexamples:

1 Womenholdbarelyathirdoftheseatsinthevariousparliamentsaround Australia

2 Localgovernment:contrarytopopularbelief,representationatthis

levelisactuallylowerthanatstateandfederallevels,(theaverageis27.8percent).

3 Inthejudiciary:womenaresignificantlyunderrepresented.ThereisonlyonewomanonthesevenmemberbenchoftheHighCourt;indeedJusticeSusanCrennanisonlythesecondeverfemaleHighCourtJustice.Womenareonly12percentofjudgesintheFederalCourt,22percentontheFederalMagistratesCourt,and34percentontheFamilyCourt.Representationonstateandterritorysupremecourtsaveragesjust18percent,andonlyoneoftheeightstateandterritoryChief Justices is a woman.

4 On boards and committees: women occupy a tiny proportion of positionsonprivatesectorboards–just8.6percentofboarddirectorsinthetop200ASXcompanies.Theyfarebetterinthepublicsector,rangingfrom29to48percentdependingonthejurisdiction.

So, in terms of representation – certainly still a long way to go. Will the girlsoftodaytaketheirplaceinourparliamentsandonthejudiciary?NotI would suggest, unless they are prepared to fight for it.

3. Government policy machinery for womenBythiswemeanthevariousstructuresandprocessessetupbygovernmentstoconductresearch,developpolicyadviceandsubjectgovernmentplanninganddecision-makingtoadegreeofgenderanalysis.

Australia actually played a unique roleinthedevelopmentofwomen’smachineryofgovernmentinthe1970sand80s,developinganapproachthatmanyothercountrieslookedtoasamodel.Themodeloffeministpolicymachinerythatdevelopedherereliedona close and interconnected relationship betweenactivistsinthewomen’smovementandfeministactivistswithinthebureaucracy.Theinternationallyremarkablemodelthatemergedfromthisrelationshipgavetherestoftheworldthe‘femocrat’.Asthepolicymachinerydeveloped,thefemocratsemerged as legitimate political players,

and it seemed that the representation of women’s needs, rights and interests wastobesafelyinstitutionalisedinthepracticeofgovernment.

However,despitethehopethatthisapproachwouldentrenchgenderanalysisasacentralandlegitimatepartofgovernmentbusiness,governmentsthatarehostiletothisgoal(mostobviouslytheHowardfederalgovernment)havedemonstratedtheeasewithwhichthemachineryitselfcanbedismantled.Reliantasitwasonpressurefromanactiveandvocalwomen’smovement,inatimewhenthewomen’smovementisrelativelysubdued,thefederalmachinerywasstrippedofpower,influenceandconsiderablefundingwithrelativeease.Indeed,Australiahasgonefrombeingaworldleaderindevelopingandinstitutionalisingtheframeworksforgenderequality,tobeingaworldleaderinbringingabouttheir demise.

LookingtotheStatelevel,wefindthatthepictureispatchy.Fromthe1980s,thefederalmodelofwomen’spolicymachinerywasadoptedandreplicatedatthesub-nationallevel.Premiersandchiefministersestablishedvariouslynamedwomen’spolicyunitsandadvisorycouncils

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“ …far from being guaranteed by legislation, gender equality is fragile.

It depends heavily on political and institutional

support, both of which are easily withdrawn.”

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inallStatesandTerritoriesbetween1976and1986.However,aswiththelegislativeframeworkdiscussedearlier,thishasoftenresultedininconsistencyacrossjurisdictions.SomeAustralianStatestodayhavefairly good women’s policy machinery, while others show little remaining commitmenttogenderequality.Theresultisadecidedlyunequalpatternof protection, participation, representation and appropriate policy for women.

4. Women’s non-government organisationsFinally,itisevidentthatthewomen’sNGOsectorhasbeeneffectivelymarginalisedfromanysignificantpolicyinfluenceorevenparticipationinpolicydebatesoverthepastdecade.An earlier commitment to funding a wide range of such organisations, that would providepolicyadvicefromawiderangeofperspectives,wasreplacedbythepreviousfederalgovernmentwithamuchnarrower and more constraining funding model in which both the number of funded organisations and their capacity to act independentlyofgovernmentisrestricted.

Women’snon-governmentorganisations(NGOs)havebeencentralactorsineveryaspect of the struggle for gender equality inAustralia.Theseorganisationshavelongprovidedaconduitbetweengovernmentandawiderangeofwomeninthecommunity.Thepublicfundingofnon-governmentorganisationshasbeenkeytoenablingthemtorepresenttheirconstituenciesinamanner‘comparableinsophistication’tothebusinessandfree-marketadvocatessofavouredbygovernment.

TherecentstrugglesforAustralianwomen’sNGOspresentswhatRuthPhillipsdescribesasa‘doublenegative’forwomen:thepreviousfederalgovernmentisaversebothtofeminismandtothemodelofparticipatorygovernancethatwouldenableawiderrangeofwomen’sNGOstoprovideindependentpolicyadvicetogovernment.Withoutawell-resourcedNGOsectorthathasthecapacitytobecriticalofgovernmentpolicy,otherareasofprogresstowardsgenderequalityarealsoadverselyaffected.Forexample,thedowngradingofwomen’spolicymachinerytookplacewith barely a whimper, as most of the organisations once in a position to commentoradvisehavenowlosttheircapacitytodoso.

InternationalIn addition to these four aspects of gender equality, we also situated our analysisintheinternationalcontext,assessingAustralia’sprogresstowardsgenderequalityagainstthemeasuresoutlinedintheUNConventionontheEliminationofAllFormsofDiscriminationagainstWomen(CEDAW)andthe Beijing Platform for Action.

Again,itwasnotapositivepicturethatemerged.ThereportdrawsattentiontothedeclininglevelofsatisfactionwithAustralia’sperformanceongenderequalitythathasbeenexpressedbytheUNCEDAWCommittee.

Indeedquiterecently,FederalSexDiscriminationCommissionerElizabethBroderickreturnedfromtheUNwiththeperceptionthattheinternationalcommunity is now watching and waiting to see whether Australia will stop

goingbackwardsandresumeitsleadershiprole in the journey towards gender equality. Let’shopeso.

The impact on women’s livesIwouldlikenowtoconsidertheimpactofthesechangesbothonwomen’slivesandontheAustralianwomen’smovement.Theseare,oratleastoughttobe,keyquestionsforyoungwomen today as they contemplate their futures.

ThisdiminishedpoliticalcommitmenttogenderequalityinAustraliaoverthelastdozenyearshashadaveryrealimpacton

the policy and programs that most affect women’s equal citizenship. Thereisaspecificfocusintheconclusiontothereportonthesuiteof‘workandfamily’policyissuesthatbeardirectlyonwomen’scapacitytoparticipateasfullcitizens.TheseareasofpolicyhighlightthepersistenceofcertainaspectsofgenderedinequalityinAustralia.Thereare,ofcourse,othersignificantareasthatcouldbeusedtomakeasimilarpoint,forexamplethepersistentlyhighratesofsexualanddomesticviolenceortheimplications of the recent federal industrial relations reforms for specific groups of women.

NewevidencealsodemonstratesthegrowinggapinpayinequitybetweenAustralianwomenandmen.EnsuringequalremunerationformenandwomenworkersisnotonlyagoalthatAustraliahasnotyetreached,butalsoonethatwithpassingyearsseemstobemovingfurtheroutofreach.RecentAverageWeeklyEarningsfiguresfromtheAustralianBureauofStatisticsshowa1.4percentdeclineinthegenderpaygapoverthelastcoupleofyears.Thismeansthattheaveragefulltimeworkingwomancurrentlyearnsonly83.6centsinthemaledollarcomparedwith85centsinFebruary2005.

Thefocuson‘workandfamily’intheconclusionofthereportreturnsthediscussiontothecomplexityofgenderequality.Thetaskofcombiningpaid employment with the labour of caring for children and elderly relativesandnurturingafamilyisstillonethatfallsdisproportionatelyonthe shoulders of women.

AfterelevenyearsofconservativegovernmentatthefederalleveltherewasanincreasingdisconnectbetweentheviewofthemajorityofAustralianswhosupportadiversityoffamilystructures,theformerFederalGovernment’spoliticalrhetoricaboutthediverselifeexperiencesofAustralianfamiliesinthe21stcentury,andtheconservativeideologyofgenderthatcontinuestostructureworkandfamilypolicyinitiatives.

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“The task of combining paid employment with the labour of caring

for children and elderly relatives and nurturing a

family is still one that falls disproportionately on the

shoulders of women.”

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A section of the audience

Areaswherethiswasevidentincluded

1 ThefamilytaxsystemwithitshighEffectiveMarginalTaxRatesandtheideologicallydrivenFamilyTaxBenefitPartB

2 ThemessleftinthechildcaresystemsincetheHowardGovernmentremovedtheoperationalsubsidyfromcommunity-basednot-for-profitchildcarecentresin1997;and

3 Therefusaltoimplementanational system of paid maternity leave

Theseissuesintheareaofworkandfamily policy underscore a number of points made here this morning. Firstly,Australia’slegislativeframeworkfortheprotectionofwomen’s human rights is inadequate forensuringasubstantivegenderequality in areas such as women’s access to, and equal participation in,thelabourmarket.AlthoughtheSDA does prohibit discrimination against women on particular grounds in particular circumstances, it cannot compelagovernmenttodevelopfurther legislation or policy that removesobstaclestowomen’sequalcitizenship, including their participation in the labour force.

Secondly,thereiscompellingevidencetosuggestthatincreasingthelevelofparliamentary representation of women within a two-party system where each party has a bindingcaucusdoeslittletoimprovegenderequality. While a politics of presence is inarguably important for symbolic reasons, an increase in the number of women in parliament doesnotmeanthatgovernmentsaremorelikelytointroducepoliciesaimedatremovingbarrierstogenderequality.Certaincircumstances,suchasthe2006consciencevoteinthefederalparliamentconcerningRU486,maychallengethisstatusquo,butingeneral,womenin both major parties are bound to the party line.

Thirdly,itappearsthattheearlypromiseofwomen’smachineryofgovernmenthasnotbeenfulfilled.DespitetheconvictionthatAustralia’smodel would entrench gender analysis as a central and legitimate part oftheconductofgovernmentbusiness,agovernmenthostiletothisgoal has demonstrated the ease with which the machinery itself can bedismantled.Reliantasitwasonpressurefromanactiveandvocalwomen’smovement,inatimeofrelativemovementabeyancethefederalmachinery has been stripped of power, influence and considerable funding with barely a peep.

Finally,itisevidentthatthewomen’sNGOsectorhasbeeneffectivelymarginalisedfromanysignificantpolicyinfluenceorevenparticipationinpolicydebatesoverthepastdecade.Anearliercommitmenttofundingawiderangeofsuchorganisations,thatwouldprovidepolicyadvicefromawiderangeofperspectives,hasbeenreplacedwithamuchnarrowerand more constraining funding model in which both the number of funded

organisationsandtheircapacitytoactindependentlyofgovernmentisrestricted.

So was it all for nothing?ThegenderreportfortheDemocraticAuditraisessomeseriousconcerns

aboutthefailureofbothsuccessivedecadesoffeministactivismandvaryinglevelsofgovernmentcommitmenttoachieveamoresubstantiveandlastinggenderequality. Australia was once a world leader in struggles to increase women’sinfluenceoverpublicdecision-making;inpromotinggendered analysis of public policies to ensure equal benefit for women; in enshrining the principle of deliberativedemocracythrougha well-funded and oft consulted women’sNGOsector;andinanationalcommitmenttolegislativeandpolicyinnovationsdesignedto enhance women’s human rights andcivilliberties.Today,afteraperiodofgovernmentovertly

hostile to these goals, Australia’s standing as a leader in the struggle for gender equality is much diminished.

ThepolicymachinerythatwaspioneeredinAustralia has not stood the test of time. With the benefit of hindsight it now appears that themodelofpolicymachinerydevelopedbyfeministsinthe1970swasamodelspecificallyforthetimes.Themodeldevelopedhererelied,atleastinpart,ona‘specificmoment’inthehistory of the Australian state , on a broad social democraticconsensusandonexternalpressure

fromavisible,united,highlymobilisedandstate-focusedwomen’smovement.Evidencefromthefieldofsocialmovementstudiessuggeststhatthissortofmovementisonlyeverinepisodicexistenceoverlongercyclesofmovementcontinuity.

Tosomeextentitisprobablethatthedominantstatefocusalsocontributedtoacertaininvisibilityforthebroadermovement.Theparadoxforfeministswasthatthepriceofpolicysuccessinsidegovernmentwasanincreasinglackofinfluenceandaccessforactivistsoutsidethebureaucracy.Thisinturnmeantthatthewomen’smachineryitselfwasunabletofunctionasintendedinanincreasinglyhostilepoliticalcontext.

New government new opportunity?So it was crystal clear to us, at least in terms of the measures of gender equalitythatwelookedat,thatAustraliahadbeen‘goingbackwards’inrecent years.

Thereportwaswrittenbeforethechangeofgovernmentatthefederallevel,soIthoughtI’dreflectonwhethertheelectionoftheRuddLaborgovernmentislikelytoturnthingsaround.

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“Your students should reach for the stars, in whatever field their

ambition lies.”


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Certainlytherearesomepromisingsigns.TheAttorney-GeneralandthePrimeMinisterhavemadepositivestatementsaboutwantingtore-engageAustraliawiththeinternationalhumanrightssystemgenerally.That’spromisingforwomen,becauseofthepotentiallyhigherprofilethatitgivestoCEDAW.

Indeed,earlierthismonththeFederalGovernmentannouncedthatitwould commence national consultations on signing the Optional Protocol toCEDAW.Thisissomethingwecertainlycalledforinthereport,andit’sanencouragingdevelopment.SigningthisprotocolwillenableindividualAustralianwomentomakeacomplainttotheUNcommitteewheredomesticremedieshavebeenexhausted–itisaninstrumentthatcanhelptokeepourgovernmentaccountableforprotectingAustralianwomen’shuman rights.

However,AustraliaretainsitsreservationtoArticle11ofCEDAW,sothatitisnotboundbytherequirementtoprovidepaidmaternityleaveforAustralianwomen.Thisremainsasobjectionablenowasitdidwhenwewrote the report.

Indeed,thisFederalGovernment’sactionsinrelationtopaidmaternityleavewillbetheclearesttestofitscommitmenttogenderequality.

CurrentlythequestionofpaidmaternityleavehasbeenreferredtotheProductivityCommission.PersonallyIwouldhavelikedtoseethegovernmenthavethecouragetojustimplementascheme,ratherthancommissionanotherinquiry.Theresearchhasbeenwellandtrulydone–thankstotheverythoroughpublicinquiryconductedbyHREOC.AustraliaandtheUSremaintheonlytwodevelopedcountriesintheworldwithoutanationalpaidmaternityleavescheme.Thereisnoshortageofevidencethataschemeisneeded.Soitwouldhavebeensatisfyingtoseethenewgovernmentjustcommittoanationalgovernment-fundedschemeasamatterofprinciple.IwouldhavethoughtAustralianwomenhadwaited long enough on this issue.

ButthefactthatthenewFederalgovernmenthasnotimmediatelyaddressedthisglaringandfundamental‘missinglink’forgenderequality,as a matter of principle perhaps suggests that a note of caution is needed.

Ourreportdoesnotjustlaytheblamefortheslideingenderequalityoverthelastdecadeorso,atthefeetoftheHowardgovernment.Althoughcertainly a lot of that blame belongs there, we also point out how some of the‘goingbackwards’hashappenedunderStateLaborgovernments,andin many other areas of Australian society.

Thisshouldnotbesurprisingbutitshouldmakeusvigilant.Itshouldcaution us against complacency, in assuming that a new Federal governmentwillarrestthedecline.Wecan’tjustsitbackandexpectthistohappen.Ifwearetostart‘goingforwards’againongenderequality,weneedtokeepthepressureon.Andweneedtoarguethatgenderequalityisnotanoptionalextra,it’sanessentialcomponentofdemocraticsociety.

So what do girls need to know to make a difference?Basedonthefindingsofafive-yearstudyintoyoungwomen’sattitudetogenderissuesandfeminism,ChillaBulbeckhasconcludedthat:

youngwomentodayconfrontanevenmorebafflinglandscapethantheirmothersdid.Theyareencouragedtodemandequalrespectand equal wages but also to pursue gender difference in a culture

thatisincreasinglyindividualised,commodified,sexualisedandinformationladen.Youngwomenareencouragednotonlytobesexyandavailable,topleasemen,buttoseethisasasignoftheirempowerment.Womenwhodon’tsucceedinworkorpoliticsareencouragedtoblamethemselves,butnotoutloudincasetheyarelabelled‘whingeingvictims’.

Youngwomentodayfacethesamechoicesandchallengesastheirmothersdid–butinasocialcontextwheretherulesareunclear.Ihavewatchedindismayasmyownteenagedaughterandhergroupsofexceptionallybright group of friends act all ditzy and dumb as a means of passing under theradar.Thankfully,astheyhittheirmidteensandstarttothinkmoreactivelyabouttheirfuturestheyaredroppingtheact,settinghighbarsforundergraduateadmissionscoresandplanningfuturesofhighachievement.

Complicatingthesefutureplansarethethoughtsofworkandchildren.Thereisalotofresearchevidencetosuggestthatmostyoungwomentodaywanttohavechildrenatsomepointintheirfutures.Howeverthereisalsoevidencetosuggestthatmanywillnotdosobecause–assomanyofmystudentshavesaidtomeovertheyears–itjust‘lookstoohard’,orbecausetheyfeartheycan’taffordtimeoffworkorchildcareandsoon.Ourstaticbirthrateatteststothefactthatwehavenotcreatedasocietywhere becoming a mother is an easy option.

Thisleadsmetothefirstthingthatyoungwomentodayneedtoknow:That the world won’t change unless they demand that it does.

Governmentstendnottodotherightthingsimplybecauseitistherightthingtodo.Governmentstendtodotherightthingonlywhenitisdemandedofthem.Likeotherliberaldemocracies,Australiadidnotsuddenly decide to embrace gender equality as an important goal because itseemedlikeagoodidea.SuccessiveAustraliangovernmentshavebeenpersuadedoftheimportanceofachievinggreaterequalitybetweenwomenandmenbyfeministactivistsbothinsideandoutsidegovernment.Thewomen’smovementhastheorised,strategised,ralliedandlobbied.Feministshavedrawnoninternationalhumanrightsobligationstoexerciseinfluence.Wehaveshamedgovernmentsthroughrevelationsofthecontinuinglevelsofexploitationandoppressionthatwomenexperiencethroughviolence,unequalpayandinotherareasofcontinueddiscrimination.Anewgenerationmusttakeupthesechallengesiftheywanttoseechangeintheirownlivesandthelivesoftheirownchildrenand grandchildren.

Suggestingthatyoungwomenmustworkforthechangestheywillwantandneedleadsmetothesecondthingtheyneedtoknow.Thatis:That feminism is not a dirty word.

TheAmericanfeministAdrienneRich,inanessayentitled‘Takingwomenstudents seriously’ summed it up beautifully:


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Whatdoesawomanneedtoknow?Doesshenot,asaself-conscious,selfdefininghumanbeingneedaknowledgeofherhistory,hermuchpoliticisedbiology,anawarenessofthecreativeworkofwomeninthepast,theskillsandcraftsandtechniquesandpowersexercisedbywomenindifferenttimesandcultures,aknowledgeofwomen’srebellionsandorganisedmovementsagainstouroppressionandhowtheyhavebeenroutedordiminished?

Withoutsuchknowledgewomenliveandhavelivedwithoutcontext,vulnerabletotheprojectionsofmalefantasy,maleprescriptionsforus,estrangedfromourownexperiencebecauseour education has not reflected or echoed it. I would suggest that notbiology,butignoranceofourselves,hasbeenthekeytoourpowerlessness.

For a myriad of reasons, but not least because of the threat it has posed to thestatusquo,therehasbeenanextraordinarybacklashagainstfeminismoverthepastcoupleofdecades.Feminismis–allegedly–allaboutbraburningandman-hating,notthequalityofwomen’slives.Therealhistoryof the struggles of women, both in Australia and internationally, has been obscuredbythismisrepresentation.Askyourstudents‘whoseinterestsareservedwhenfeminismisrepresentedlikethis?’And,mostimportantly,teach them their history – tell them that, were it not for the Australian women’smovementtheywouldstillhaveresignfromajobinthepublicservicesoncetheygotmarried,thepaygapwouldbefar,fargreaterthatamere17%,thattheiraccesstocontraception,andbankloans!wouldbemuchless.Theirchoicesinlifewouldbemuchnarrowerandfocussedalmostentirelyontheirrolesaswivesandmothers.

Makesurethattheyunderstandthatinperiodswherethewomen’smovementhasbeenhighlyvisibleandmobilisedithasachievedgreatchange.Intheinevitableperiodswhenthemovementislessactive,however,progresshasstalled.Withoutcontinualpressureandscrutinyfromfeministactivists,governmentshavetimeandagainrevealedtheirresistancetothegoalofgenderequality,andindeedhavewoundbackachievementsinmanyareas.Youngwomenwithallthebenefitsof

thefineeducationIhavenodoubtyouareprovidingwillbemuchneededif we are to see more progress into the future.

One final message for young women today: For them Anything is possible. For the first time Australia has a female deputy prime minister. Perhapsoneofyourstudentswillbeourfirstfemaleprimeminister?Yourstudentsshouldreachforthestars,inwhateverfieldtheirambitionlies.

It will be important to future generations of Australian women that the concernsraisedinthisreportareproperlyaddressed.Yourstudentstodayarethatfuture.Youhavethechallengingandexcitingroleofinspiringthemtoengagewiththeseissues,toseetheirrelevanceintheirownlivesandtowanttomakeadifference.Iwishyouwellinthisendeavour.

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ReferencesBulbeck,C.2008,‘Equality–Dotoday’syoungwomenandmenwantit?’InternationalWomen’sDayspeech,EqualOpportunityWA.

Burgmann,V.2003,Power, profit and protest: Australian social movements and globalisation,AllenandUnwin,Sydney,p.155.

Eisenstein, Inside Agitators,p.19.

Ford,L.E.2002,Women and politics: The pursuit of equality, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.

Franzway et al, Staking a claim,p.134.

Lake,M.1999,Getting equal: The history of Australian feminism, Allen andUnwin,Sydney,p260.

Magarey,S.2004,‘TheSexDiscriminationAct1984’,Australian Feminist Law Journal,Vol.20,June,p.127.

Meagher,G.andWilson,S.2006,‘AfterHoward'sDecade,isAustraliaMoreConservative?’Symposium:ADecadeofHowardGovernment,23Feb.http://www.australianreview.net/digest/2006/02/meagher_wilson.html

Phillips,R.2006,‘Undoinganactivistresponse:FeminismandtheAustraliangovernment'sdomesticviolencepolicy’,Critical Social Policy, No26,February,pp192–219.

Pocock,B.2003,The Work/Life Collision: What Work is Doing to Australians and What to do About It, Sydney, Federation Press.

Rich,A.1980,‘TakingWomenStudentsSeriously’,inOn Lies, Secrets, and Silence: Selected Prose, 1966-1978.

Rupp,L.andTaylor,V.1987,Survival in the doldrums: The American women’s rights movement, 1945 to the 1960s,OxfordUniversityPress,NewYork.

Sawer,M.2007,(forthcoming)‘Australia:Thefallofthefemocrat’,in,JohannaKantolaandJoyceOutshoorn(eds),Changing feminism,PalgraveMacmillan.

Sawer,M.2002,‘Governingforthemainstream:Implicationsforcommunity representation’, Australian Journal of Public Administration, Vol.61,No.1,March,p.39.

Segal,L.1999,Why feminism? Gender, psychology, politics, Polity Press, Cambridge,pp.24–5.

Thornton,M.Formoreonconciliationsee,1991,'ThePublic/PrivateDichotomy:GenderedandDiscriminatory',Journal of Law &Society, 18(4):448–463.

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AbstractThis new century has seen renewed debate about the meaning of citizenship in Australia. At the same time, our responsibilities to the rest of the world have come into sharper focus with wars, famine, dictatorial regimes and civil unrest.

When such things occur, women, with children suffer most.

Young Australian women can consider and participate in our debates about Australian citizenship. They could actively consider if a human rights charter could strengthen citizenship. How could girls and women contribute to such a charter?

As we work harder on recognising and protecting human rights at home, young Australians could make links with world bodies dedicated to human rights protection everywhere.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the document which is the foundation of all modern human rights laws. An American woman, Eleanor Roosevelt, was largely responsible for the declaration. An Australian woman, Jesse Street, was also directly involved in developing this seminal document. What similar actions are available to Australian women 60 years later?

Youareallinvolvedinauniqueexperienceinthehistoryofthehumanrace.Youareteachinggirlsatatimewhenthecircumstancesofthelivesofwomenandgirls,particularlyinfirstworldcountrieslikeAustralia,aredifferentandbetterthantheyhaveeverbeen.Youare teaching the first generation of girls who will moveintoasocietywherediscriminationbasedonsexhasbeenillegalforaquarterofacentury.Inthe21stcenturyinAustraliaasintherestofthedevelopedworld,womenarenotofficiallybarredfrom any occupations, professions, courses of study or training.

Therangeoflifestylesforwomenacceptabletomainstreamsocietyhasneverbeenwider.Womenmaymarry,remainsingle,liveinasamesexrelationship,havechildren,orremainwithoutchildren.Noneofthesechoicesprovokessocietaloutrage,orexcludesthemfromjobsorcommunitylife.Womennowlivelongerthanatanytimeinrecordedhistoryandinbetterhealth.Economicindependencecanbeenjoyedbymostwomenandiscertainlyavailabletoallyourstudentsastheymoveintoadultlife.

Thefullrangeofcareeroptionsisquitevisibletoschoolgirls,shouldtheychoosetolook.Theycanseefemalesinpoliticalleadership,atthetopofallprofessionsincludingasjudgesoftheHighCourt.Theycanseeawomanwhoisapolicecommissioner,awomanwhoistheCEOofamajorbank.Theycanseefemaleschoolprincipals,professorsanduniversityvicechancellors.Womenartists,writers,filmproducersarenolongertrivialised.Whentheywatchtelevisionyourstudentscanseefemale journalists reporting from war zones and other areas of crucial importance to all of us.

In September of this year, they will see a distinguished Australian woman, Quentin Bryce, become the first woman to hold, as Governor-General, the top role available to an Australian citizen under our constitution.

As I list these instances of female progress, I don’t havetopointouttothisaudiencehowrecentthesedevelopmentsare,howevenonegenerationago,girls faced much more restricted opportunities ineducation,work,andlifestyle.VeryfewoftheexamplesIhavejustlistedwouldhavebeenavailable.Discriminationintheworkforce,intheprovisionofservices,ineducationandtrainingwas legal. It was widely practised and accepted by society as normal, acceptable, the way things

were. Many women, especially if they were mothers, were of necessity dependent on a husband or on the state. Women who sought childcare servicesfortheirinfantchildrenwereaccusedofgrossmaternalnegligence.Allthathaschanged,overwhelminglyforthebetter,forwomenthemselves,andfortheentiresociety.

Of course I could, and maybe should qualify this optimistic presentation of whatispossibleforyoungwomentodaybynotingthatpoverty,inflexibleworkdemands,popularculturewithitsoppressivestereotypesaboutbodysizeandshape,andthepersistenceofmaleprejudicecananddomakethelivesofmanyyoungerandolderwomenmiserable.

But my purpose here is to project forward, to discuss some of the ways in whichthegirlsyouteachcanbecomeeffectiveglobalcitizens.

Iwouldliketorefertothenewchallengesforyourstudents,acceptingforthemomentthatmostoftheoldoneshavebeentackledwithsomeeffectiveness.

Itisatruismtosayweliveinaglobalworld.Itmeansinpracticethatyourstudentsarelikelytoliveandworkinsocietiesallaroundtheworld.Noneof the big issues facing Australians is restricted to our national borders.

Women as global citizens in the 21st centurySusan Ryan AO, Chair, Human Rights Act for Australia campaign


“Documents expressing ideals carry no weight unless the people know them, unless the people understand them, unless the people demand that

they be lived.”

Climatechangehasmadeeventhemostparochialofusawarethatweliveinoneworld,ashasinternationalterrorism.Issuesofhumanrightshavebecomemuchclosertohome.Asaconsequenceofwarsandcivildisturbances on the other side of the world, our ideas about citizenship are challenged.

Itisrelevanttomythemethatwearehavingabigpublicconversationabout citizenship now, more than a century after the states of the colony federatedandwebecameanation.Throughoutallthelastcentury,refugees,asylumseekersandregularimmigrantscametoAustralia.Withlittlepubliccontroversyordiscussion,mostofthembecameAustraliancitizens.Nowsuddenlywehaveanewcitizenshiptest,andlotsofcontroversyaroundthisnotion.

Why?

Itseemsthatinrecentyears,wehavetriedtoredefineandmakenewrules about citizenship, not to help those who want to become citizens, butbecausewewanttoexcludesomefromthisbenefit.Thosewewanttoexcludeareculturallyverydifferentfromus,andusuallyvictimsofhorrific circumstances in their land of birth. I am referring to Muslims fromthewarzonesoftheMiddleEastandtorefugeesfromplaceslikeDarfur and other parts of the Sudan. I suggest we need to reconsider our nationaltendenciestoexclusionofthesehumanbeings.Weshould,Isuggest,considertheircircumstancesinthecontextoftheirhumanrights,overseasandhereinAustralia.

If today’s schoolgirls focus on the proposed new citizenship rules, they could consider the arguments against these rules by successful immigrants ofpreviousgenerations.VastnumbersofGreekandItalianmigrants,forexample,becameoutstandingcitizenswithoutknowinganythingaboutDon Bradman.

What has changed?

Theworldhas,inthatwearealltryingtodealwithglobalterrorism,andrightlytryingtofindeffectivewaysofprotectingourownsocietyfromit. But does the Don Bradman test help us here? What other notions of citizenshipwouldbetterreflecttheworldinwhichyourstudentslive?Alreadytheyarepartofasocietymadeupofpeoplefromeveryculture,race and religion in the world. Some of these adapt to our system readily andthrive.Othersfindhugedifficultyandexperiencerejectionanddiscrimination.Theirhumanrightsarenotrecognised.

Some are subjected publicly to the crudest abuse and contempt. I remind youoftheshockinginsultsmetedouttothoseMuslimsattemptingtogetplanningapprovalforanIslamicschoolinCamden.AnyonewhomissedtheTVcoverageoftheracistandreligiousinsultsheapedontheapplicantsbyAustralianflagdrapedlocalcitizenswouldhavefoundthechiefabusergettingfrontpagephotocoverageinourmostseriousSydneynewspaper,and an in depth profile as well.

Whatdoessuchbehaviourmeanfor21stcenturynotionsofAustraliancitizenship? Can we do better? Can we define citizenship in ways that willhelpeveryonefeelincludedandenableeveryonetomakeapositivecontribution?WhatwillAustraliaexpectofitscitizensin50yearstime,andwhowilltheybe?Ihavesomeideasbutyourstudentsmayhavebetterones.

Ihopeyourstudentsdobecomeinvolvedinsuchconsiderations,andwhentheydo,maketheirsuggestionstothosewhoaremakingtherules.

SoontheAustraliangovernmentwillprovideamajoropportunityforyourstudents,andallofus,toconsidersuchimportantquestionsinthecontext

of how we protect our basic human rights. In Australia, amazingly and disappointingly,wehavenonationallawdefiningandprotectinghumanrights. I say that this is amazing because Australia was once a world leaderinhumanrightsprotection.In1948,whentheworldcommunitywasstrugglingtorecoverandrebuildafterthehorrorsoftheSecondWorldWar,itwasanAustralianForeignMinisterDrBertEvattwho,asfirstPresidentoftheUnitedNations,presidedoverthesecuringoftheInternationalDeclarationofHumanRights.ThedrivingforcebehindthedeclarationwasEleanorRoosevelt,andshewasassistedbyAustralianactivistJesseStreet.SincethathistoricDeclarationwasagreed,alladvanceddemocraticcountrieshaveintroducedhumanrightslawsbasedon its principles. Only Australia has not.

Thereasonsareseveral,buttheRuddgovernment,recognisingcommunityconcernaroundsuchhumanrightsviolationsaschildrenheldbehindbarbed wire in immigration detention, or the tragic circumstances of many of our indigenous children, has announced its decision to hold a national public inquiry into questions about a national human rights law or charter. SuchchartersarealreadyinplaceintheACTandVictoria.Youmightrecallalsothatthiswasalsooneofthebigideasthatcameoutofthe2020summit.

Thetimetableforthiscommunityconsultationhasnotyetbeenannouncedbutitmaywellbethisyear.Whentheinquirydoesstart,itwillbeveryimportantthatindividualsandgroupsfromallpartsofourcommunitygetinvolvedandmaketheirviewsknown.ItisextremelyimportantthatyoungAustraliansstillatschoolgetinvolved,astheywill,ifsuchanationalhumanrightslawisenacted,livealloftheiradultlivesunderit.Ifthereisnosuchlaw,thenagaintheywilllivealltheiradultlivesinasocietyvulnerabletothemanyconflictsandproblemsthatdevelopwhenhumanrightsareviolated.

Ifwelooktotheworld’stroublespots,weseethatwomenandchildrensuffermostinwars,faminesanddictatorships.Whilewedonothavesuch terrible problems in Australia, we are concerned and in many ways involvedwiththesevictimsofglobalconflict.ItmaybeeasierforyoungAustralianstofeeldistressabouttheviciousoppressionofwomenbytheTaliban,orthedailydeathandinjuryofchildreninIraqandLebanonthanexaminethetreatmentofMuslimorAfricanwomeninsomepartsofAustralia.Humanrightshoweverareuniversal,andtheirprotectionshouldbeatoppriorityofeverycivilisedsociety.

MyownviewisthatasAustralianswewouldenhanceourdemocracyifweachieveanationalcharterofhumanrights.Tosucceedhowever,thisinitiativemustbestronglysupportedbythecommunity.IremindyouofwhatEleanorRooseveltsaid:

‘Documents expressing ideals carry no weight unless the people know them, unless the people understand them, unless the people demand that they be lived.’

Can I suggest to this distinguished audience of educators of girls that such knowing,understandingandlivingofthenoblestidealsofhumanityformpart of your great project?

ForinformationontheHumanRightsActforAustraliacampaignsee www.humanrightsact.com.au

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ReferenceMaryAnnGlendon,2001,A World Made New, Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,RandomHouseTradePaperbacks,NewYork.

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SETTING THE SCENEFoundedin1891,NgaTawaSchoolhasearnedanationalreputationforhighacademicachievement,foritsEquestrianAcademyandforbeingoneofthefirstgirls’schoolsinNewZealandtooffertheInternationalBaccalaureate.

As a full boarding school, challenged by a nationally declining boarder population,NgaTawahashadtocontinuallystrengtheneducationalexperiencestoholditsowninanincreasinglycompetitivemarket.Beinginaremotelocation,bothBoardsknewNgaTawaneededtocreatenichemarketorpointofdifference.From2002-2004arangeofleadershipopportunitieswasintroducedtounderpinpastoralcareinitiatives.Thiswasachievedwhilemaintaininghighacademicoutcomesunderanewqualificationcommencingin2002:theNationalCertificateofEducationalAchievement(NCEA).NgaTawaconsistentlyachieves97-100%passratesatallthreelevelsofNCEA,whileendorsementsarewellabovethenationalaveragefordecile10girls’schools.

EDUCATING GEN Y and GEN Z Society has certainly changed from the schools many school principals attended in the1970sandearly1980s.Thespeedandaccess of communication tools, internationally competitivemarketsandmediadefinedlifestyles has led to increasing consumerism, rapidlygrowingteenybopand‘tween’markets

andmediashapedteenimagesofwhatisdesirableandvalued.

AnattitudinalshiftbetweentheGenerationYsandZshascreatednewchallenges.Manystudentsarriveatsecondaryschoolshavingbeenconstantlyentertained,wantingandexpectingeverythingNOW.IanGrant of Parents IncwasinterviewedrecentlyonNewZealand’sTV3,expressingconcernsthatourchildrenarebeingraisedtooquickly,withnotasmuchtimetodevelopskillsandconfidenceaspreviousgenerationshad.Grant’sconcernsaresharedbymanyothersworkinginthefieldsofeducational leadership and psychology.

We all appreciate that teenagers today are raised in a rapidly changing world.ICTprovidesuswithgreattoolsinschools,howevermanycanbeinsulartechnologiesegcellphones.Teenagersarealsoexposedtoon-linecommunitieslikeBeboandFacebook;therearerisks,however,associatedwith these new communities.

LondonbasedwriterandauthorofUnder Pressure: How the epidemic of hyper-parenting is endangering childhood, Carl Honore, wants parents and teachers to allow students to grow up more slowly. Educatorsoftenfindteenagersdefensive,withan attitude of entitlement. Perhaps due to a heightened awareness of the rights of the child throughoutNewZealandsocietyduringthepast two decades, many young people are not usedtothewordNO.

MarkMcCrindle,Australianclinicalpsychologist, claims students suffer from an ‘externallocus’,aconditionwhereteenagerslookoutwardsandblamesomeoneelsefortheir problems. McCrindle was reported recentlyashavingaskedagroupofteenshowtheyhandledabaddecision.Theanswerwas‘It’seasy,you

just hit the undo button’.

From grass roots to graduates: Growing leaders from Years 10-13

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“How do we get back to basics with students and encourage them to develop interpersonal

skills and let go of some of the material possessions they seem so attached to? This is a perennial challenge for all

school leaders.”

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Students can be restless, easily bored and unable to concentrate. Some students can also be blatantly rebellious.Theyallneedtimeandencouragementtolearntoprocessinformationandtodevelopresponsibilityfor self. McCrindle says it is good for students in Gen YandZtomakemistakesortheymaygrowupunabletothinkforthemselvesandlackingsocialandfinancialindependence.Parentinghaschangedoverthelastthreedecades as many families become blended. Some parents whomakealldecisionsfortheirchildrenhavebeenlabelledasHYPER.(Honore)

Sowheredowebegin?Howdowegetbacktobasicswithstudentsandencouragethemtodevelopinterpersonalskillsandletgoofsomeofthematerialpossessionstheyseemsoattachedto?Thisisaperennialchallengeforallschoolleaders.

CHALLENGE FOR GIRLS’ SCHOOLSFullboardinghasgivenNgaTawamanyadvantages,asschoolinfluencesalargerpartofourstudents’lives.Veryclosefriendshipsareformedbetweenboardersandourstudentrolemodelshaveawideropportunitytoinfluenceyoungerstudentsrisingthroughtheyearlevels.

Asafullboardingschool,NgaTawahasa24houropportunitytoinfluenceboarders.Theylearntoliveinafishbowlunliketheirdayschoolcounterparts.

Resilienceandselfconfidenceandatasteofsuccessinsportorotherextracurricularoptionscanhelpstudentstofindtheirfeetanddevelopincreasingselfknowledgeandindependence.

LEADERSHIP AT NGA TAWALeadershipatNgaTawaisbasedontheChristianmodelofleadership.Itfocusesonserviceandtheactive/transformativeinterpretationof‘tolead’

Nga Tawa School ValuesGenerosity,Tenacity,Integrity,Respect,Courage,Resilience,Responsibility,Compassion

Fromtheaboveschoolvalueswefocusonopportunitieswhichdeliberatelydeveloptenacity,integrityandresilience.Howeverlayeredbehind/inadditiontothis,wepromotetwovaluesperterminAssemblies,ChapelServices,HouseMeetings,SchoolCouncilinitiativesandOrientation Days for parents and students.

Key Messages about Leadership• Leadershipwithoutintegrityisaperformance

• Leadershipismoreaboutresponsibilityandservicethanaboutkudosor status

• Thetransformativepowerofleadershipcanneverbeunderestimated

• Greatleadersleavetheirimprintontheheartsofothers

• Greatleadersdeliberatelyenhanceasituationnotdiminishit

• Leadershipisanattitude

Leadership Opportunities at Nga TawaYear 9

• MemberofSchoolCouncil

Year 10

• YoungNewZealanders’Challenge

Eachyear,Year10studentshavetheoptionofworkingtowardstheirYoungNewZealanders’ChallengeBronzeAward.MoststudentscompletethisawardwithinayearandprogressontoSilverandGoldLevelsinsubsequentyears.

• Year10AustralasianExchanges

Eachyear,uptoeightNgaTawastudentsinYear10travelduringTermTwotooneoffourAustraliansecondaryschools.NgaTawaalsoactsasahostschoolforeightAustralianexchangestudents.Thishasbeena highly successful program and ideal for students interested in school leadership in senior years.

Year 11

• JuniorHeadsofHouses(fourpositionsperterm)

• Boardingleadershiproles(fourpositionsperterm)

• Daygirlleadershiproles(oneperterm)

• DeputyChair,SchoolCouncil

Year 12

• HeadofMarshallHouse

• OutwardBoundBodyandSoulCourse(usuallytwoperyear)

• SpiritofAdventure(twoY12berthsperyear)

Year 13

• Prefects(10positions)

• HeadofCottages,Equestrian,Music,ChapelMusic

• HeadLibrarian

• ChairofSchoolCouncil

• YouthParliamentMemberforRangitikei(onceeverythreeyears)

• Studentheadsofvariousdepartments,e.g.HeadofArt,HeadofPhotography


Only 22 day girls

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School Council

NgaTawahasahouse-basedcounciltogivestudentsgreateradvocacy.

Cool Schools

Years 11, 12 & 13

30studentsaretrainedinthemediationprocess.Pairsofmediatorsarerosteredontoprovideamediationserviceinthedayschoolandtheboardingenvironment.Thisisanopportunityforserviceleadershipandtoacquiresomevaluablelifeskills.Theprogrammewaslaunchedtostaffattheendof2007.MediatortrainingoccuredduringTermOne2008.Feedbacktodatehasbeenverypositive.

Big Sisters

Years 12 and 13

Year12and13studentsactasmentorsforYear9students. Senior students agree to spend time with their littlesisters,toactasaconfidante,toofferadviceandtohavefuntogether.Thiswaslaunchedatthebeginningof2008andithasbeenahighlysuccessfulinitiative.

Prefect Selection

Week Five, Term Three

• ExpressionsofInterest/ApplicationsinvitedfromYear12students

• Votinglist(allapplicants)distributedtoYearlevels10–13andstaff.Theypicktenprefectsonly,nopositions nominated at this stage.

• Shortlistof20for10positionsannouncedinAssembly

• Shortlistedcandidatespreparearesume;theyareinterviewedandcompleteasurvey.Theyalsoindicatetheir preference of three positions from first to third choiceseg1.HeadPrefect;2.HeadofHouse;3.Headof Sport.

• ApanelofSchoolPrefectsanswersanyquestionsfromcandidatesoveralunchtimemeeting.20ontheshortlistarerosteredintoarangeofpositions(notnecessarily their three preferred positions) and they shadowexistingPrefects.

• AnnouncementofPrefectsforthefollowingYearismadebythePrincipalatPrizegiving.

Prefect Training

Wehaveanon-sitetwodayworkshop-leadershipintensivethatincludesmealpreparationandovernightactivities.Thecostofthetwofacilitatorsissharedbetweenthetenparents and the school.

HeadPrefect2008,EmmaHaggas,wonselectionandrepresentedAlliancememberschoolsattheNCGSInternationalGirls’ForuminBaltimore,USA,2007.

The Yards

Equestrian Area

Gaining confidence through sport

The Avenue

IntroductionThispaperproposesarationalefor,andadescriptionof,anacademiccurriculumdesign(referredtoas‘theunitofwork’),tobeimplementedoveroneterminYear10FrenchatStAidan’sAnglicanGirls’SchoolinBrisbane,whichexplicitlyaimstobroadenhorizonsforgirlsbypreparingthem for future leadership roles in society, and in so doing, to inspire themtoaimforleadership.Inparticular,theunitseekstoinvolvegirlsinfindingcreativewaystousetheirknowledgeandskillsinFrench,toachievealeadershiproleeventually.Whilsttheunitofworkmaybemostdirectly applicable to other languages, this paper also raises the question of integrating girls’ leadership issues in other subject areas both within and beyondsecondlanguageeducation,involvingstakeholderswithvariousroles in girls’ schools.

Rationale TheneedtoseemorewomenoccupyleadershiprolesinAustraliaandoverseasisobvious(e.g.,Eagly&Johannesen-Schmidt,2001;Hansen,2008;Hoyt,2007;Indvik,2004,McMurdo,2007;Wilson,2004),asisthefact that women face gender-based barriers to leadership, encompassing thenotionofthe‘glassceiling’(Morrisonetal.,1987;seealsoEaglyetal.,2003,pp.572-573).Despiteasuggestionofanimminent‘cracking’oftheglassceilingbecauseofevidenceofanincreaseinwomenoccupyingleadershippositionsinsomecontexts,barrierstowomen’sleadershipstillexist(Hoyt,2007,pp.278-279).Ontheotherhand,leadershipstylesgenerallyattributedtowomen(includinglessrigidhierarchicalstructures than those typically associated with men, andcharacteristicssuchasoverallcollaboration)areincreasinglyvaluedbyacademicsandprivatesectorconsultants,because,forexample,incommerce,itequatestohealthierbusinessenvironmentsandgreaterprofitability; and in politics, it brings societies closer todemocracy(Wilson,2004).

Such issues seem to point to the fact that girls’ schoolsneedtoseizeeveryopportunitytoprepare

girlsforfutureleadershiproles.Inparticular,Hansen(2008)hasofferedthefollowingchallenge:῾Thequestionofhowschoolsandteachersdealwith the disturbing realities of gender inequality is an important one and theanswerdependsonthedevelopmentofasoundeducationalstrategyunderpinnedbyinformedandrigorousdebate.’(p.25)

The Unit of WorkIndividual Projects – Thinking ‘Outside the Square’

Theunit’spredominantactivity,whichwilllastforthedurationoftheunit,willseegirlsworkingonindividualprojectswherebytheydesignandcreativewaystouseFrenchtoachievealeadershippositionultimately,thatsuitstheirowninterests,skills,etc.Theprojectwilldescribealeadership journey that they personally may wish to pursue. Students will conductresearchandengageinmuchthinkingandreflectioninandoutofclasstimeinthisendeavour.Althoughmuchofthisprojectinvolvesindividualwork,girlswillworkcooperativelywithoneanotherregularly,inpairs,toclarifyissues,correcteachother,andseekadvicefromeachother(Gillies&Ashman,2003;Murdoch,2004;Oxford,1997).Eachgirlwillalsohaveindividualconferenceswiththeteachertodiscussherproject. Students will present their projects separately to the class, in French,towardstheendoftheunitofwork.

InthinkingaboutwaystouseFrenchtoachievealeadershipcareer,studentswillbeencouragedtothinknotjustaboutthemoreobviouscareerstowhichastudyoflanguagescandirectlylead,forexample,diplomacyinaFrench-speakingcountry,ortranslationandinterpretation.Studentswillalsobeencouragedalsoto‘thinkoutsidethesquare’toinvestigateotherlessobviouspossibilities,alongthelinesofthefollowingsituations:

a) A situation where French can enhance a woman’s prospects of achievingaleadershippositioninthefirstplace,andwherethatleader uses her French in that leadership position in Australia, forexample,inanareainwhichonemighttraditionallythinkaforeignlanguagehasnoorlittleplace(e.g.,thelaw);or

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Clayton Forno, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School, [email protected]

Broadening Horizons for Girls: Preparing for Leadership in French Class

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Clayton Forno, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School, [email protected]

Broadening Horizons for Girls: Preparing for Leadership in French Class

b) A situation where a woman does not necessarily use French in the performance of a leadership position per se, but where French has helpedherinleadingtotheachievementoftheleadershiproleinthefirst place.

Studentswillbeencouragedtokeepanopenmindregardingpossibilitiesfor using French in their careers, including the type of area in which they maywishtowork(law,medicine,engineering,etc).Theaimistogivestudents the scope to consider endless possibilities in this respect.

Atthestartoftheunitofwork,girlswilllistentotwofemaleguestspeakers:ProfessorSarahDerrington,whose career matches the first description,above;andMsVanessaBenson-Cassard, whose career matches thesecond.Thepurposeofhavingguestspeakersaspartoftheunitofworkistoproviderolemodelstoinspire the girls generally towards leadership, and more specifically to givethemideasregardinghowastudyofFrenchcanbeusedcreativelytohelpthemtoachieveacareerinanyarea.

Topromptstudents’thinkingatthestartoftheunitofwork,theteacherwillgivethegirlspracticalideastouseFrenchincreativewaystobuildtheirleadershipcareers.TheseincludeundertakingworkexperienceintheFrench-speakingcountryintheareainwhich they wish to pursue a leadership career, before, during or after their universitystudies.(Suchexperiencemaymakethemmoreemployableinultimately applying for a leadership roleinAustralia,forexample,thanmightotherwisebethecase).Whilsttheteacherwillgivesuchexamplestostudentstoprompttheirthinking,itisnecessarytogivethestudentstheopportunitytotaketheinitiativeindiscoveringandproposingtheirownideas.

Other Learning Experiences

Intheirindividualprojects,studentsmaywishtoincludeundertakingapart-timejobinaFrench-speakingcountrywhiletheycompleteworkexperienceintheareainwhichtheywishtopursuealeadershipcareer,forexample.Alternatively,thepart-timejobmightactuallybetheirworkexperience.

Therefore,furtherlearningexperiencesincludedintheunitofworktocomplementandenhancetheindividualprojects,includereadingjobadvertisementsandlearningaboutwritingacurriculumvitaeandcoverletter,andhowtoundertakeajobinterviewinFrench.Studentswillalsowritetheirowncurriculumvitaeandcoverletter,writeletterstobusinessesinFrench-speakingcountriesaskingaboutthepossibilityofgettingworkexperienceatsomestageinthefutureandfindingoutinformation about the businesses, and will engage in an imaginary job interviewinclass(inFrench).

Assessment

Muchformativeassessmentwilloccurthroughoutintheunit.(Forexample,withinlanguagefocusactivities,studentswillcompleteinformalgrammar quizzes).

Summativeassessmentwillincludespeakingandwritingtests.(Theothertwomacroskills,listeningandreading,willbeassessedinthenextunitofworkthefollowingterm).Thespeakingassessmentistheindividualstudent’s presentation to the class, whilst the writing test will see students writingacoverletterforajobapplicationinFrench.Thesewillcontribute

toanoverallgradetobeallocatedattheend of semester.

TheformatofassessmentrequiredforFrenchbytheQueenslandStudiesAuthority(QSA)(QSA,2008)forYears11and12Frenchisindividualtestsinthefourmacroskillsoflistening,speaking,reading and writing. Despite the fact thattheQSAdoesnotgovernstudiesinQueenslandforYear10,thismethodofassessment will nonetheless be applied intheunitofworktopreparestudentsforassessmentinYears11and12.QSASeniorFrench(Years11and12)rubricsare also used, for the same reason. (GradesfromAtoEwillbeawarded).

However,theunitofwork’sassessment willalsoincludeportfolios.(Thesewillnot be allocated a grade as such, but will be used in writing the student’s report card comment). Portfolios are acollectionofmaterialskeptbythestudents and the teacher which documents

astudent’slearningjourney(Hebert,2001).Basically, anything the students create or use can beincludedintheirportfolio.Thereareseveraladvantagesofusingportfolios,includingthattheyallowtheteacherandstudentstoworktogethercollaborativelyinacommunityoflearnerstoachievelearningoutcomes;theyhelplearnersto become integral and conscious participants inthelearningprocess(Huba&Freed,2000);they recognise that assessment must be a continuous, on-going process, and that it must chroniclestudentdevelopmentinthelanguage;

theyrecognisethatassessmentmustprovideforactive,collaborativereflectionbybothteacherandstudent,andthatvalidlearningmustbemultidimensional-committedtosamplingarangeofcognitiveprocesses,affectiveresponses,andliteracyactivities(Valencia,1990;seealsoAngelo&Cross,1993;andRoe&Vukelich,1994).

Takingthesestatementsintoaccount,eachstudent’sportfoliowillincludethe following:

• Thestudent’sexercisebook,documentwalletfornotes,etc.Thismayprovideholisticinsightsintostudents’developmentinvariousaspectsoftheirFrench.Taskscompletedathomeorinclasswillalsoincludetheteacher’swrittenfeedback;

“... the curriculum design provided here goes well

beyond having girls merely stargaze, but ... it

explicitly empowers them, using an academic subject

area, to reach for the stars.”


(Full text of this paper, together with appendices and references, is available on the Alliance web site at http://www.agsa.org.au/files/content/521.pdf)

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• Thestudent’sreflectionsaboutherthinkingintermsofhowtheunitofworkishelpinghertocreateherpathtoleadership.(SeewaystoencouragesuchreflectionsinHuba&Freed,2000);and

• Thestudent’sreflectionsandfeedbackaboutherlearninginclassgenerally-includingwhatisworkingforher,andwhatmightnotbeworking(Cook-Sather,2002).

Attheendoftheunitofwork,aportfolioconferencewillbeheldbetweentheteacherandtheindividualstudentduringwhichtheportfoliowillbediscussed and, in doing so, the student’s report card comment will be writtencollaborativelybybothstudentandteacher.Unlikethespeakingandwritingtests,theportfoliowillnotreceiveagradeassuch.Astheportfolio will be used to create a written report card comment only, no rubric is used, although rubrics might be created for portfolios to suit variouspurposes.

Looking ForwardOther Academic Subjects

Schools may wish to consider the feasibility of integrating girls’ leadershipissuesexplicitlyinvarioussubjectareaswithinandoutsidethe realm of second language learning and teaching. Consistent with thestatedimportanceofstakeholdersineducationnegotiatingmeaningcollaborativelyinordertoeffecteducationalreform(Fullan,2007;seeparticularlypp.37-38),schoolsmayinvestigatethepossibilityofestablishingcollaborativenetworks(perhapsaspartofanexistingstudiescommittee)tofacilitatesuchanendeavour.Theviewsofgirlsthemselves

aswellasthoseoftheirparentscouldprovidevaluableinputintothisprocess.Educationalprofessionalsinvariousroleswithinschoolscouldinformtheprocessfromtheirareasofspecialisation.Teachers,headsofdepartment,etcwhowritecurriculumdocuments,andthosewhooverseetheprocess(e.g.,deansofstudy)arethosewhomostobviouslyprovideinputfromacurricularperspective.Pastoralcarecoordinatorscouldprovideinputabouttheprecisenatureofpastoralcareleadershipprogramsin the school, so that connections can be made in class discussions in academicsubjects.Furthermore,schoolcounsellors/psychologistscouldprovideadviceaboutsuchissuesaswaystoencouragegirlstothinkaboutleadership.Otherexternalstakeholdersmightalsobeinvolved,suchasthoseconnectedwithvariousstudiesauthorities.

ConclusionTheauthorexpressesahopethatthecurriculumdesignprovidedheregoeswellbeyondhavinggirlsmerelystargaze,butthatitexplicitlyempowersthem, using an academic subject area, to reach for the stars.

Thispaperhassuggestedtheestablishmentofcollaborativenetworkstoimplementleadershipissuesforgirlsexplicitlyinothersubjectareas.Suchprojectsmightadvancetheimplementationofleadershipexplicitlyinsubjectareasinthefuture.Maximisingwaysthathelpgirlstopreparefor future leadership roles in society, builds on the many ways which girls’ schoolscancaterforgirls’educationalissuesspecifically.(SeeSax,2005).Indoingso,itmightalsocontributenotjusttoacrackingoftheglassceiling in the future, but to its smashing altogether.

Weexpresstoalloursponsorsourgratitudefortheirsupportforthisconferenceandthereforeforourschoolsandforgirls'educationingeneral.

Annual Conference 2008 Sponsors

Alliance Major Sponsor: Cox Humphries Moss Architects

http://www.cox.com.au/www.enginegroup.com.au

Spotless www.spotless.com.au

Fuji Xerox www.fujixerox.com.au

Botanics on Jardine www.botanicsflorist.com.au

enlighten education www.enlighteneducation.com

ComputerCORP www.computercorp.com.au

MGM Wireless www.mgmwireless.com

Ranier Design Group www.ranierdesigngroup.com

Sussan Group www.sussan.com.au

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According to the traditional approach, a leader is a strong and powerful individual—someonewhomakesdecisions,commandsmanyothers,andspeakswithcharisma.Aleaderistherarehumanbeingwhoembodiesspecialqualitiesonlyrarelyfoundinoneperson;infact,fromthisverydefinition, most of us are seen as followers and not leaders, especially women.

Onedefinitionofleadershipstartswith:1.Theofficeorpositionofthehead of a political party or other body of people.

Thisisprobablytheinterpretationthemajorityofpeoplearriveatwhenthinkingaboutthemeaning of leadership; happily the dictionary continues and we as educators can hopefully identifymorereadilywiththenexttwodescriptions when relating them to our students: 1.Theabilitytoguide,directorinfluencepeople;2.Guidanceordirection.

Manyleadershiptrainingprogramshavebeen based on the traditional concept of leadership, so that our young people are trained in command and direction functions: to run meetings,togiveorderstoothers,tospeakinpublic,etc.Thesetrainingprogramswerealso based on the assumption that there was a leadershipcrisisinmostcommunities—thatthere were not enough leaders. In reality, the leadership training programs that our communities need are not those built aroundthetraditionalmodel.Theleadershipcrisisfacingourcommunitiestoday is not the absence of leaders but the presence of too many self-proclaimedleaderswhohavedifficultyworkingtogetherwithothers.

Withoutanunderstandingofleadership,studentsareunabletomakepositivechangesintheirownlivesorinthecommunity.Toenablethistotakeplaceweneednewleadershiptrainingopportunitiesthatteachpeoplehowtoworktogether,thatuncovertheleadershipskillswithineachindividual,andthathelppeoplelearnhowtomixthedifferentleadershipstylesofindividualstoworkeffectively.Inotherwords,weneedleadershiptrainingprogramsbasedontheconceptofcollabrativeleadership.

Thereareanumberofdifferentapproaches,or'styles'toleadershipandmanagementthatarebasedondifferentassumptionsandtheories.Thestylethatindividualsusewillbebasedonacombinationoftheirbeliefs,valuesandpreferences,aswellastheorganisationalcultureandnormswhich will encourage some styles and discourage others. One way of classifyingstylesisasfollows:CharismaticLeadership,ParticipativeLeadership,SituationalLeadership,TransactionalLeadership,TransformationalLeadership,TheQuietLeader,TheServantLeader.

BrendonBurchard,inhisbookThe student leadership guidetalksaboutaLeadershipFrameworkthatencompasses6activitiesthatcouldmakeleadershipqualitiesareality.Toleadotherstobecomestrongperformershe suggests you could: Envision – ways in which the team can perform better; Enlist–everyone’ssupportinshapingandpursuingexactlyhowtoperformmoreeffectively;Embody–worktogetherandembodytheprinciplesandbehavioryouwishtheteamtomodel;Encourage – everyonetoconstantlyandconsistentlytosustainthejourney;Empower –theteamwiththeinformation,decision-makingauthorityandautonomy to reach optimal performance; Evaluate–thevision,theethics,

performance and progress of the team.

Ifeelthatsomeofthemosteffectiveleadershiptrainingprogramsoccurineverydaysettings.Weliveinaworldoforganisations.Mostpeople’slivesareintimatelyintertwinedinthem.Peopleareemployedbythem,managedbythem,participateinthemvoluntarilyorreceiveservicesfromthem.Atonetimeoranotherourgirlswillbecalledontotakealeadershiproleandweareendeavouringtoguaranteethatwefosterinoutstudentstheconfidenceandskillstomeetthisdemandwhentheneedarises.

Tobeasuccessfulteamagroupofpeoplemustworktogethertoachievethecommongoal,which often means that someone in the group needstotakeonaleadershiprole.Dependingonthetaskanddemandsonthegroupthisperson may change for different challenges. Weendeavourtoensurethatgirlsaregivenenough opportunities in both formal situations and informal setting to practice their leadership skills.Itshouldalsobenotedthatemployersarenowactivelylookingforpeoplewhocanworkas a team.

Schools can genuinely broaden student leadership capabilities by using a wide range of opportunities, encouragement and connectedness throughoutthegirls’timeatschool.Eachyearweaimtofosterinthegirlstheskillstograsp

opportunities that build their self-confidence, showing them what they arecapableofinasupportiveenvironmenttoenablethemtoconfrontthediverseandcomplexopportunitiesintheyearsahead.Weneedtoappreciate the folowing ideals when considering Student leadership:

• Everygirlhasleadershippotential.

• Everygirlhastherighttodevelopanddemonstrateleadershipskills

• Allleadershipprogramswillbemoresustainableifitissupportedbystudents, parents, teachers, the school and the local community

• Withinourschoolsweshouldidentifyandpromotearangeofstylesofstudent leadership

• Leadershipopportunitiesshouldbedesignedtoencourageparticipationby each girl

• Allleadershipprogramsshoulddevelopskills,knowledge,attitudesandvaluesthroughawiderangeofactivities

• Wemustencourageleadershipopportunitiesthatstrengthentheschoolcommunity

Ourschool,likemanyothers,hasarangeofformalleadershippositions.Thestudentsvotefortheirleadersusingatransparentanddemocraticprocedure.Nostudentisexcludedandweaddupthevotesusingpreferencialvotecounting.

Besidestheformalsettingswehaveavastrangeofotherleadershipopportunities,wheregirlsquicklyworkouttheirworkingrelationshipsinthegroup.Thesesituationstakeplacebothinandoutoftheclassroomandinside and outside of school.

In the classroom situation how can we teach our girls to approach assignments,suchasgroupprojects,asopportunitiestoworkonleadershipskills?

Developing tomorrow’s leaders todayLyndy Stagg, Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School, [email protected]

“Every girl has

leadership potential”

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If each teacher were to begin a group assignment with a discussion of theimportanceofleadershipskillsandworkingwithothersachievethe best results, students would gain a new appreciation for class group work.Notallstudentgroupsunderstandthepotentialoffosteringtheopportunitiesforleadershipdevelopment.Bytheirnature,somestudentgroups are simply social gatherings, while others are narrowly defined around a particular function. Our girls need to see participation in student orcommunitygroupsduringtheirschoolyearsnotassomething‘extra’curricular but as something fundamentally curricular and essential for their future.

What can a student do to gain necessary leadershipskillsthatwillempowerthemtoservetheircommunitiesand/orprepareforfuture employment?

James Kouzes and Barry Posner are well-respected names in the business ofleadership.Theyquote5practicesofexemplaryStudentLeadership,whichIhaveattributedtosomeofouractivities:1.Modeltheway;2.Inspireasharedvision;3.Challengetheprocess;4.Enableotherstoact;5.Encouragetheheart.

AsIhavesaidtherearemanyleadershipstyles and the debate will always rage, about how to define each type. In my opinion the important aspect of leadership styles is to recognisethatthereareavarietyoftypesandthevalueofusingdifferentstylesfordifferenttasks.

IattendedaonedayseminarrunbyOlivierMythodramaandawonderfulShakespearianactor,MichaelBoyle,usedthe story of Henry V to illustrate the growth of the young Kings leadership and how he inspired his followers.

Keyleadershiplessonsrevealedincluded:

• Steppingintoaleadershiprole

• Provingyourselfaworthyleader

• Unitingadisparategrouparoundacommongoal

• Askingotherstomakesacrifices

• Inspiringyourteamtofightagainsttheodds

Thestoryinanutshellisayoungkingwhohastodealwithfriendswhobetrayhim,awarhedoesn’twanttofightandadvisorshedoesn’tknowhecantrust.HeembarksonaprotractedwaragainstFrance.Tired,hungryandhopingthefightingisover,theyarehopelesslyoutnumberedwhenconfrontedbyamassiveFrencharmyatthebattleofAgincourt.Henrydeliversthespeechofhislifetoencourageandincludeallhismen.

TheForumforYouthInvestmentinWashington(2007)identifiedatrioofcoreelementsofsuccessfulYouthaction:1.Fosteringmotivation;2.Increasing capacity; 3. Creating opportunity.

IfyouhavebeenluckyenoughtolistentoMarkMcCrindlewhoisacharismaticspeaker,hetellsusaboutusingsocietalstatisticsinordertobaseourplanningforourstudentsinthecorrectcontext.

‘The youth of 2020 are part of the most formally educated generation in

history - starting education younger than ever and projected to stay in education for longer than ever.’ states Mark McCrindle. ‘As the children of older, wealthier parents with fewer siblings and more entertainment and technological options, it is likely that they will be the most entertained and materially endowed generation of children ever.’

By 2020mostBabyBoomerswillhaveretiredwhileGenerationYwilldominateemployment,comprising42%oftheworkforce.

By 2020 averagejobtenurewillbearound3years(4yearstoday)withvoluntaryannualturnoverapproaching20%.Morethan1in3workerswill be employed on a casual basis.

By 2020 energyconsumptionwillhaveincreased by one-third and based on current technologies greenhouse gas emissions will be20%higherthantoday.

By 2020thenumberofonline‘reputationattacks’oncorporations,initiatedbyonlinepranksters,activistsordisaffectedcustomers,willhaveincreasedfourfold.

TheClassof2020(finishingYear12in2020)commencedtheirSchoolingthisyear.

Allthesestatisticshelpusputintocontextthe young people who will be our leaders before too long. Our girls need two major leadershipdevelopments:Tobeengagedintheir community and in turn this will foster the qualities and assests they can use for theirownindividualgrowth.

We can set them on the right path.

ReferencesAllianceofGirlsSchoolleadershipConference2006,www.agsa.org.auArnold,S.B.2001,Leader traits and leadership competencies necessary during organizational change,Tennessee.Burchard,B.2003,The student Leadership Guide,TheUniversityCentre,TheUniversityofMontana.ForumforYouthInvestment2007,Building Effective Youth Councils, A Practical Guide to Engaging Youth in Policy Making, www.forumforyouthinvestment.netGreenleaf,R.K.1977,Servant Leadership: A Journey Into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness,PaulistPress,NewJersey.Hawkes,T.F.2005,Learning Leadership. A Leadership Course for Secondary Students,TheKingsSchool,Parramatta,N.S.W.Kouzes,J.M.,&Posner,B.Z.2002,The leadership challenge, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.Kouzes,J.M.,&Posner,B.Z.2006, Student Leadership Planner, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.MarkMcCrindle,www.McCrindle.com.auMaxwell,J.2002,Leadership 101,ThomasNelsonInc.,Nashville,TN.Meyers,S.2007,Leadership Styles,Trustees,11.TheNationalCoalitionofGirlsSchools,www.ncgs.orgInspirationalLeadership,www.oliviermythodrama.com


So what qualities do we want to foster in our

emerging leaders?

STRONG LEADERS

Have respect for others

Acknowledge their

potential

Fully recognise people’s

contribution

Enable people to give of their best

Use their abilities well

Create meaning and purpose

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EachyeartheAlliancesendstwostudentdelegatesfrommemberschoolstotheInternationalGirls’ForumwhichtakesplacealongsidetheNationalCoalitionofGirls’SchoolsConferenceintheUS.WethankWorldChallenge(www.worldchallenge.com.au)fortheirgeneroussupporttowardsthegirls’airfares.Thisyear,thegirlswerechosenfromNSWschoolstogotoCleveland,Ohio.OurtwostudentambassadorswereJessicaRainertfromOurLadyofMercyCollegeParramattaandRebeccaNiumeitolufromMeriden.Theyhavedevelopedthislistofideastheygatheredfromtheconference.

1. Technology and Global Citizenship is the Future

Our world is becoming increasingly global, and schools need to be prepared for that, not only with internet access and laptops for students, but education for teachers as well, so that students and teachers understand what is happening with both parties.

2. Access does not mean motivation

Just because you create scholarships for engineering doesn’t mean girls are going to go for them. Girls need to be encouraged to pursue theirgoals,andtaughthowtoblockoutnegativeimagesassociatedwith the media, such as gender stereotyping. Also, they need to see the long-termbenefits,andbetaughtflexibilityandresilience.

3. Trans-curricular Learning/Integrated Curriculum

Alllearningisinterconnectedandneedstobeseenasso.Thisiswheretechnologycanhelplinkclassesandsubjects(ancienthistoryclasshavinganonlinediscussion/forumwithanartclassstudyingearlyGreekart,forexample).

4. Democratising success

Everygirlgetstheopportunitiesthateveryoneelsehas,regardlessofschool, race, creed, etc and has guidance and encouragement along the way.

5. Learning isn’t just for exams

Girlsneedtobetakenoutsidetheirschoolsinordertobroadentheirexperienceandhelpthemfindtheirplaceinthecommunity,andtheirfuture place in the world.

6. Compulsory community service

We noticed that all the girls from schools in the US had to do a set numberofhoursofcommunityserviceeachyear.Wethoughtthiswould be a great idea for implementation in Australian schools as it getsgirlsinvolvedintheircommunity,butalsohelpsthemtobuildafriendshipandsupportnetworkoutsideofschool,andhelpsthemconnect with people they normally wouldn’t meet.

7. Students supporting students

Almostallschoolshaveaprograminplacethatinvolvesoldergirlstutoring and counselling the younger ones. Variations include being allocated one or two buddies in a younger grade and helping them withtheirhomework,tosetperiodswheregirlsfromdifferentgradescangettogetherforsome‘girltalk’.Thisallowstheoldergirlstomeettheyoungergirlsandtosharetheirexperienceswiththem.Also,itmeanstheyoungergirlshavea‘bigsister’togoandtalktoaboutanythingwhenevertheywant,becausesometimestheyoungergirlsfinditdifficultorembarrassingtogoandseetheirteachersandtalkaboutproblemstheyarehaving.Asonegirlsaid,‘Ultimately,itis

nicetoknowthatyoucanbe a dependable source of comfortinsomeoneelse'slife,allwhilestrengtheningthesisterlyfibresofagirls'school’.

8. Teachers supporting students

Another program in place at some schools is the mentorship program. In the junior grades, students can decide to initiate a mentorship, whichisanin-depthstudyinthefieldoftheirchoice.Itisaveryselectiveprogramduetotheworkloadandeffortthatisrequired.Girls submit proposals and are then paired up with a faculty member whowillhelpguidethemthroughtheirstudy.Forexample,onegirlis doing a mentorship in philosophy this upcoming year and will be workingwithahistoryteacherandfocusinginparticularonhumanismand possibly ethics.

9. Co-curricular activities are essential in a girl’s social, mental, cognitive, spiritual and physical development

Activitiessuchaspublicspeaking,debating,netball,hockeyandfutureproblemsolvinghelpgirlsdeveloptheirsenseofselfesteemandconfidencebyprovidingthemwithtimetomakefriendsandtodeveloptheirskillsinasafeandcaringenvironment.Theyalsoallowgirlstolearnhowtoworkasateam,anddevelopproblemsolvingskills,allofwhichareessentialinlaterlife.

10. Fundraising and Social Justice activities

By fundraising for the needy, girls are able to act as global citizens. Italsocreatessocialawarenessinstudents,helpingmotivatethemto bring about a sustainable future by continuing their learning and assistance after school.

National Coalition of Girls’ Schools International Girls’ Forum

21

Rebecca & Jessica

Forum Discussion

Girls with art work and children from the Douglas MacArthur Girls Leadership Academy

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Beforeshearrivedweweretoldthatshewasthemostpowerfulwomanintheworld,yetwhenshespokeitseemedasifshewerespeakingtooldfriends.Shewasanexcellentexampletothegirls:gracious,calmandconfident.DrRicesharedherpersonallifeexperience,adviceforyoungwomenandheartfeltwishesforabettersociety.Itwassosincere,sopowerfulthat500seniorgirlsat Mercedes College, an inner city Mercy girls’ school, sat either cheering or clapping or in wrapt silence. If anyone present had some worries about US or Australian foreign policies, these were put aside to hear the wise and thoughtful words of a woman who said she was not concerned about being discriminated againstbecauseshewasblackandawoman;shewasinapositionofinfluence,andshehadalwaysbeenblackandfemale.

Therewasafamilyfeelingaboutthistalk.MrStephenSmith,theAustralianForeignMinisterwasthere.Hisdaughter,Maddie,isaYear10studentatMercedesandshesatinthefrontrow.DrRicerememberedMaddieandreferredto her by name and also used the names of the Head Girl and members of staff.BothMrSmithandDrRicetalkedabouttheimportanceofrelationshipsbetweennations,governments,andpeopleswhilststressingtheimportanceoffriendshipbetweenleadersonahumanlevel.MrSmithhadinvitedDrRicetoAustraliaandtogethertheysatonstagewiththePrincipal,MrsSheenaBarber,andspoketothegirls about life, the importance of study and learning languages, and the power of education to change the world.

Friendshipwasathemeofthediscussions.Whenaskedaboutherboss,PresidentGeorgeBush,DrRicesaidhevalueslifelongfriendshipandhasmaintainedandvaluedfriendshipsfromschoolanduniversity.Shealsospokeofhowshevaluesfriendship,andhowherfriendsevenbuyclothesforher!

DrRice’sopinionsaboutbeingopentothatwhichpresentsitselfinlife,ratherthanstickingtorigidfiveyearplans,impressedthegirlswhohaveoftenbeentoldhowthepioneeringSistersofMercysetsailfromIrelandbackin1845toestablishaschoolintheSwanRiverColony.Theyfoundconditionsharshandyettheyadaptedandestablishedschoolsandhospitalsthatstillservepeopletoday.MrSmithsaidthatpeoplein power build on the efforts of those who came before and that real change happens incrementally. For those who teach and lead in Mercy schools today it is a reminder that we follow in the footsteps of the Sisters who came before us.

HeradvicetothegirlsonchoosingapathremindsusoftheemphasistheSistersofMercyhavealwaysplacedongirls’education.‘Don’tletanybodydefineforyouwhatyoushouldbeinterestedin.Yourhorizonsshouldbelimitlessatthispoint.Youhavetofindthatspecialcombinationofwhatyouaregoodatdoingandwhatyoulovetodo.’

AsagifttomusicallytalentedDrRice,a12memberchoirsangWhat a Wonderful World, and she and Mr Smith stood to clap their success. She also receivedahistoryofMercedes,OutofTheseStones,writtenbySrM.MaureenCream.

AftertheassemblysomeYear11girlswereaskedwhatstruckthemasmostsignificantinDrRice’stalkandquestionsession.MadisonRaecommented,‘WhenDrRicesaid,“Findamixtureofwhatyoulikeandwhatyouaregoodatforacareer”,thatmadegoodsense.’AdriannaManinosaid,‘Whatstruckmemostaboutherwasheradvicetodosomethingyouloveandarepassionateabout.’MatildaCunningham’scommentwas,‘IthoughtDrRicewasmotivating,inspirationalandpassionateandlikedheradvicethatyoumaynotfindyourvocationitmayfindyou.’LuciLabranohasthistosay:‘Unlikenormalassemblies,Inoticedhowunusuallystillandattentivethegirlswere.TheyweresittinglookingupandlisteningtoDrRiceandMrSmithandhungoneveryword.’

Condoleezza RiceCondoleezza Rice, the U.S. Secretary of State speaks at Mercedes College in Perth Western Australia.

“Don’t let anybody define for you what you should be interested in.

Your horizons should be limitless at this point. You

have to find that special combination of what you

are good at doing and what you love to do.”

Dr Rice with Head Girl, Lucy FitzSimons

Principal, Sheena Barber, with Maddie Smith

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TheSouthAfricanGirls’SchoolsAssociation(SAGSA)heldtheirannualconferenceinMay.TheconferencewasheldinJohannesburgatStStithiansCollegebutwasco-hostedbyParktownGirls’,StAndrews,andBresciaHousePrimary.Thethemewas‘GirlsRWorthI.T.’ThedoublemeaningontheITallowedforaninterestingmixoftopicsastheconferencefocusedonthevalueofgirls’educationinatechnologicalITage.

Thepurposeoftheconferenceistocreateaforumwhereissuesspecifictogirls’educationcanbediscussed.Thetaskofthespeakerswastoweavethe tapestry of girls’ school education through the sometimes contradictory experiencespresentedbythe21stCenturyclassroom.Whilemakingsuregirlsare‘techno-savvy’,thereisstilltheneedtodealwiththemanyaspects of womanhood necessary to ensure an holistic approach which keepsgirls’schoolsatthecuttingedgeofeducationwithoutdismissingthetraditional roles and crafts of women.

With this in mind it was appropriate to start the conference with internationalartistandquiltingexpertRosalieDace.Herquiltingworkwasbreathtakingandwasastrongreminderoftheimportanceofstory.Eachquilttellsitsownstoryjustaseachgirlhasherindividualstorytotell.

LibbyMartin,atrainer/facilitatorforThePacificInstitute,gaveadynamicpresentation.Oneofherpointsleftalastingmarkformanyofus.Shegottheaudiencetodirectanotheraudiencememberwhodidnotknowwhat was required of her to write her name on a flipchart. She was guided onlybytheaudienceeitherclappingorbooing.Shehadnotbeengivenanybriefingapartfromthefactthatshewouldhavetodosomething.Shesooncaughtonbutmoreimportantwasthepointoftheexercisewhichhighlightedtheimportanceofself-esteemandhowweoftenallowourlivestobedirectedbytheclapsandboosthatwereceive.

ChristineBoonisapsychologistandlifecoachwhohasdevelopedherownmodelofresiliencecalledtheC.H.O.O.S.E.Method.Thereislittledoubt that one of the most important things that we can teach our girls istheartofresilience.ChristinebaseshermodelonneedingtodevelopCompetence: when we are in control of a situation we can cope better; HumourisavitalcopingskillasisasenseoftheimportanceofOthers andbeingwillingtobevulnerableandtodependonotherswhenweneed to; Optimismisaskillthatcanbelearntandpeoplewhohavehoperecoverfromdifficultsituationsalotfasterthanpeoplewhotendtowardspessimism; to really be able to challenge life we need a Sense of purpose andfinallythereisaneedforahealthyandpositiveEsteem.Thisacronymon its own is powerful and worth remembering.

TracyScottclosedthefirstdaywithalivelyanddynamictalkthathadeveryonetalkingandparticipatingastheytriedtoworkouttheirparticularpersonalityprofile.Shehighlightedtheneednotonlyforself-knowledgebut the need to understand how others operate in order to allow people toperformtotheirpotential.Therewasmuchdiscussionthroughouttheconference as whether people were red, green, yellow or blue personality types.Manycouldbeheardprotestingvehementlythattheycertainlywerenotbossy‘red’ornoisy‘yellow’.

Day2startedwiththewonderfullypowerfulCEOofTheEvaGroup,ThandiChaane.Thandiispassionateaboutwomenaffirmingwomenandfirmlybelievesthat‘Thepowerisyou!’Shespokeabouttheimportanceofcarrying an inner beauty and an ability to connect with self. She reminded thedelegatesthatgirls,evengirlsfromgoodschools,willstruggleinthehostileenvironmentthatawaitsthembeyondschoolbutthattheymustbemadetobelievethattheyhavethepowertoeffectchange.Ourhandsarethegiftthatwehaveandwemustuseourhandsto‘do’–thequestionmustbe:HowdoIweavethetapestry?Shechallengedtheheadsbyaskingif

they were ready to stand up and be counted and if they had the will and the powerto‘transformtheirshadows’.

ThandiwasfollowedbythegentleandgraciousKopanoMatlwa,medicalstudent and author of Coconut. Kopano was a breath of fresh air and an inspiration.Sheisaproductofthetapestrythatiseducation.Teachers,shesaid,areinthebusinessofcreating‘appetite’andaspacewhereweneverstopaskingquestions.Theyweaveandallowthemagicandthedreams.Shespokeabouttheinfluencethatteachershaveonthegirlsthattheyteach:‘yourteacherisalwaysyourteacher’.It’salwaysasoberingthoughttothinkofhowteachersmouldlives…

TherewereanumberofsessionsontheroleofsocialnetworkingsiteslikeFacebookandMXit.Mostofthedelegatesleftthesesessionshavinglearntalotbutknowingthattherewassomuchmoretolearn.Thejuryisstilloutonthesafetyofsocialnetworkingsitesbuttherecertainlyispowerinknowingwhattheyareandhowtheywork.Mostteenagerscomewithacell phone surgically attached and can hardly imagine a day without instant access to their friends. If we don’t understand this part of the girls that we teach we are missing out on a large part of who they are.

DelegateshadanopportunitytovoicetheirindividualconcernsataWorldCafé.DelegatesweregivenademonstrationonhowtoruntheirownWorldCafébyfacilitatorRachelvanDoorene.Thehotissuewasaround recruitment and how to attract and then retain high quality staff. Otherissuesincludedlookingathowpublicschoolscancompetewiththeprivateschoolsforretainingteachers;howtheperceptionofteachingcanbe changed to attract new people into the profession and how to deepen understandingofculturaldifferencesanddiversity.

TheconferencetransferredtotheOprahWinfreyLeadershipAcademyon Saturday morning where delegates were held spellbound by Patricia Glyn.Patriciawalked2000kilometersfromDurbantotheVictoriaFalls,followinginthefootstepsofheradventurerancestor,SirRichardGlyn.Hertalkwasillustratedwithslidesandvideofootageanddeliveredapowerfulmessage, told in an often humorous, sometimes challenging way. Her talkonthechangesthathavetakenplaceonthesubcontinentandstrongconservationmessageshouldbeprescribedlisteningforallschools.

Theconferencewasconcludedwiththeelectionofanewcommitteeandfor those who had time, a tour of the Academy conducted by girls just bursting with pride as they showed us their amazing facilities.

Nomatterwheregirlsareeducated,theyareworthit!

Girls R Worth I.T. The South African Girls’ School Association Conference

Ruth Everson, St Stithians Girls’ College

Published by: The Alliance of Girls’ Schools AustralasiaGPO Box 55 Hobart Tasmania Australia 7001

T: 03 6234 2114 F: 03 6234 2115

M: 0417 962 466 E:[email protected]

W: www.agsa.org.auin alliance

Student Leadership Conference 2009Journey to Inspire

SLC2009willtaketheformofamultilayeredjourneyofselfexploration.Throughinitiativeactivitiesandchallenges,performancesandcreativework,involvingbuddies,groupworkandindividualreflection,thegirlswilllookatleadershipfromanemotional,socialandintellectualperspective.

Theconferenceprogramwillincludeformalpresentations,outdoorchallenges,workshopactivitiesandkeynotespeakers.Reflectionandjournalwritingwillbeanintegralpartoftheprogramanddelegateswillhavethechancetonominateandaddress issues of special concern to them. As well, there will beopportunitiesforleisureactivitiesandfordelegatestoparticipate in discussions with former school leaders and with currentleadersintheadultworld.Therewillalsobeaformalconference dinner.

Themaximumnumberofstudentswecanaccommodateattheconferenceis120.Thereforewehavetolimitthenumberattending from any one school to 2 DELEGATES.Thestudents attending the conference should be entering their lastyearofsecondaryschoolin2009andbeyourKEY 2009 STUDENT LEADERS.

Registrationwillbeavailablefrom1September2008

See the Alliance web site for more details. Enquiries: [email protected]

Date: 3pmonWednesday14Januaryto1.30pmonSunday18JanuaryVenue: StHilda’sSchool,Southport,Queensland,AustraliaDetails: Delegates will be accommodated at the school and the school’s facilities will be used for most

conferenceactivities.Southportisseventy-sevenkilometressouthofthecityofBrisbaneandcanbeaccessedfromBrisbaneorCoolangatta(GoldCoast)airports.Shuttleswillbearrangedto transfer girls from the airport to the school.

PicturesfromSLC2008

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