Dripstone Middle School principal Robyn Thorpe’s Australia-wide first

A DARWIN principal has become the first school leader in Australia to become a Certified Practising Principal, amid a national push to encourage more teachers to step into leadership roles and lift the profile of the position

Dripstone High School principal Robyn Thorpe is the first in Australia to become a certified principal

A Darwin principal has become the first school leader in Australia to become a Certified Practising Principal, amid a national push to encourage more teachers to step into leadership roles and lift the profile of the position.

The Principals Australia Institute has created a principals standard — benchmark for those in the role.

Dripstone Middle School principal Robyn Thorpe became the first certified principal after a year of proving her educational practises to a board of peers. “It (being certified) made me feel quite proud, proud of the work we do as principals,” she said.

Ms Thorpe said the standard and certification allowed for consistency in school leadership across the country.

Monash University educational leadership professor Jeffrey Brooks, who is training would-be principals for the workforce said globally there was a shortage of principals.

“The certification is a nice indicator of the recognition of the work they do but it’s not going to increase the attractiveness of it ... it’s got to be supported by the local, state and national level,” he said.