Queensland education power rankings: The leaders who shape our students, schools and universities

We’ve ranked the 20 most influential education figures in Queensland, from prominent principals to policy heavyweights and uni visionaries. See who tops the list.

Education issues have been at the forefront of Queenslanders’ mind this year with teachers strikes, exam bungles and childcare scandals.

Major teacher strikes left the families of 560,000 schoolchildren scrambling to find alternatives as teachers walked off the job after overwhelmingly rejecting all of the government’s “historic” enterprise bargain pay offers, with a second strike scheduled for Tuesday.

The fail Caesar of a number of Queensland schools sparked international headlines with the costly error by schools threatening the ATAR of over 100 students. Throughout the highs and lows, these politicians, powerbrokers and principals have weathered the tides and set the agenda for Queensland education this year.

Top-ranked Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek has had his hands full with teacher strikes and failing negotiations with the education union, led by Cresta Richardson (7).

The government’s various offers haven’t been enough for the powerful union, and Opposition education spokeswoman Di Farmer (#2)has been nipping at Langbroek’s heels throughout the saga.

Department of Education director-general Sharon Schimming (3) has also been drawn into fight, as her strong stance against the strike put her at odds with many educators.

There were principals aplenty in the top list, with school leaders such as John Paul College’s Lindsay McQuattie (8), Rockhampton Grammar School’s Dr Phillip Moulds (11) and St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School’s Ros Curtis (12) ranking high for advocacy and education excellence.

In the childcare space, a centre demanded parents pay $2200 for their own children’s art portfolios resulting in mass outrage and confusion across the state.

Queensland’s own Premier David Crisafulli chimed in, labelling it “emotional blackmail”.

University heavyweights – both union heads and vice-chancellors – have proved divisive this year.

The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) racism row saw vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil (17) offer an apology while UQ union president Jaafar Jabur (16) led a campus boycott of Coca-Cola products in support of Palestine.

On a broader stage, it’s impossible to look past reforming juggernaut and federal Education Minister Jason Clare for top spot on our national power list, while second place goes to former Queensland Education Department director-general Tony Cook, now the federal government’s most senior education bureaucrat.

Originally published as Queensland education power rankings: The leaders who shape our students, schools and universities