Key Points
- Iqbal Singh Aujla has served in the education sector for the past 3 decades.
- "Parental engagement leads to student success," he said.
Iqbal Singh Aujla, who lives with his family on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, has been working with the Department of Education for over two decades.
Starting his career in 1999, he is currently serving as the Principal at Tullawong State School, Caboolture, in the southeastern part of the city.
Schools do not define career success, here's what does
Addressing the public vs private school debate, Mr Aujla said many families, especially from migrant backgrounds, prefer to send their children to private schools because they perceive they offer a level of prestige and academic excellence unmatched by public schools.
But that's not the case, he said.
"The environment at one school can be better than the other, but the assumption that private school education is better than public school education is not true. Private school children do not outperform public students," he said.
Iqbal Singh Aujla during a storytelling session.
'Parental engagement is key to a child's academic success'
Parental engagement in a child's school activities is one of the proven predictors of academic success, Mr Aujla said.
Studies show that a family’s engagement has a direct positive impact on a child’s learning success, and that goes beyond picking up and dropping a child at school.
Mr Aujla has been on Australia's top 100 leaders list at the Federal Government Australia 2020 Summit.
He has also served on the Regional Development Authority Board, besides representing Australia on the world stage several times.
Regional vs metro schools
A father of four, Mr Aujla, shared that all his children went to public schools in regional areas and have good academic records.
"Schools are crucial to a child's learning process, but they do not define your child's values or character. What matters is the atmosphere and support they get at home along with classroom studies," he said.
Mr Aujla added that it, however, cannot be overlooked that schools in metropolitan areas offer better facilities than those in regional areas.
"If your child is involved in a sport or extracurricular activities, then it's important to know that schools in cities have better amenities for such students," he added.
Click on the link to listen to this interview in Punjabi:
LISTEN TO
The interview with Principal Iqbal Singh Aujla.
19:58
