OXLEY High’s new principal, Simon Bartlett-Taylor says schooling in the 21st century has definitely evolved but teaching itself hasn’t changed.  The fundamental aspects of teaching, to ensure good outcomes for every child that walks through the door, hasn’t changed at all, he says, but does acknowledge there are layers of complexity due to technology. Teachers have felt the impact of technology in the classroom, he said.  “It has been a renewal process for all schools, with a lot of experienced teachers leaving and having to develop new scheme teachers into competent and confident teachers.”  Mr Bartlett-Taylor, who grew up in Tamworth, started his new role at the beginning of the term, taking over from acting principal Rod Jones who was retained after the departure of former principal Tim O’Brien last year. After a significant time away, most recently as acting principal of Gunnedah High School and six years as deputy principal of Armidale’s Duval High School, Mr Bartlett-Taylor returns to his original stomping grounds to lead about 1000 students and 136 teachers into the ever-changing educational landscape. Mr Bartlett-Taylor said teaching in the 21st century meant preparing kids for the large number of jobs they were predicted to have in their lifetime. “In terms of the 21st century it’s about ensuring that we are always mindful of the fact that kids will essentially have 10 to 12 jobs in their lifetime and making sure we can upskill students for any job and that they can be confident that they can take on any job,” he said.  Mr Bartlett-Taylor disagreed with the notion country kids have different priorities to metropolitan kids saying their main concerns – to get a good job and be successful in their chosen career –were the same. “What we are expected to do as a school is exactly the same as every school across the state,” he said. “To make sure kids have access to an excellent education.“People who leave Oxley High should be able to say, ‘I got a good education in Tamworth and I can take my skills to any capital city in the world’, not just Sydney or Melbourne,” he said. Mr Bartlett-Taylor’s objectives for Oxley High are to maintain the school’s academic and sporting traditions and encourage extra-curricular-activities. “I’ll look to find out what it is that really underpins this school, one of which is our strong culture of learning, and then make sure that we keep that front and centre in what we do,” he said.
