Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project chief executive Lisa McKenzie spent Tuesday shadowing McGuire College principal John Sciacca in a 'Principal For A Day' initiative.
The day was supported by the Victorian Government's Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership.
Ms McKenzie said from 8.45am to 3.15pm she attended staff meetings, visited classrooms of different year levels, followed a tour of Grade 6 students from nearby Wilmot Rd Primary School, and sat in on a disciplinary matter involving Year 9 boys.
She said the day was an eye-opening and thought-provoking experience.
"The experience really confirmed for me the whole range of wellbeing and social issues faced by students, from the very vulnerable and fragile to the confident and high-achieving ones," she said.
"It also highlighted that domestic violence and mental health issues require a trauma-informed approach so that we can take into consideration all the things that are going on in students' lives which may affect their education," she said.
Ms McKenzie said she was struck by the poor state of infrastructure.
"The students and the schools really do deserve better than this. A lot of rooms and buildings looked like they hadn't seen a lick of paint in 30 years," she said.
She also noted that a new approach to education is needed.
"The traditional model in our schools has focused on content, but we have to look at how young people can acquire the skills to be work ready, and navigate life. So we need to look at the enterprise skills — communication, creativity and critical thinking," she said.
Ms McKenzie said she was "super impressed" by the commitment of school leaders to the planned changes to secondary education in Shepparton.
"Teachers and leadership staff seem much more positive than many parents in the community," she said.
"There were lots of discussions around wellbeing at the new interim school."
Ms McKenzie said the Lighthouse Project would now identify ways to enhance the literacy, numeracy and mentoring volunteer programs it already operates in Shepparton schools.
She thanked staff and students and McGuire College for their participation in the Principal for a Day initiative.
"I am very grateful for their time and thoughts — the whole experience highlighted the need for change," she said.
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