Leadership lost as reforms loom Elizabeth South Primary principal Jocelyn Osborne with students Mulongecha, Samantha, Thu and Cainan. Picture: Kelly Barnes Source: The Australian AT a time when the country's education sector is facing funding reform, classrooms are bracing for an exodus of thousands of experienced teachers. The Principals Australia Institute has found more than two-thirds of the nation's school leaders plan to retire over the next decade and says this will lead to a lack of experience as the Gonski reforms potentially take effect. The institute surveyed 1600 principals and found 68 per cent of school leaders were planning to step down. Of those, 84 per cent were over 45, including 27 per cent aged between 57 and 65. Acting chief executive Jo Mason said the retirements were a concern at a time when the federal government could change funding rules. "Whatever change happens, principals are at the forefront," she said. Most of the reforms that are proposed are exciting, but to get them done and balanced and work sensitively with teachers, who have their own challenges, we need to have a good level of experience. With retirements it means you're offering different levels of experience. Elizabeth South Primary School principal Jocelyn Osborne, who is in the 66-and-over age range, is planning for retirement while mentoring leaders within her school and in Adelaide. She hopes any reforms will include planning for leadership training, with a focus on educating rather than funding. "While it's focused on improving leadership and teaching quality, I think we've got to build the capabilities of young leaders and young aspiring leaders," she said. The 35-year teaching veteran, who has been a principal for 12 years, has worked hard to improve results in low socio-economic areas. "It makes sense that children are engaged in a curriculum and learning that motivates them and encourages them to come to school," she said. The PAI survey found 50 per cent of teachers aspiring to leadership were considering leaving the profession within the next decade. Ms Mason said many younger principals had found their skills could be used in consultancy firms and industry. She said the sector needed to retain the skills of older principals through mentoring programs.