Inspirational NSW Principal awarded prestigious Harvard scholarship

Inspirational NSW Principal awarded prestigious Harvard scholarship

We are delighted to announce the recipient of the 2014 Harvard Club of Australia Teachers Mutual Bank Scholarship in partnership with the Public Education Foundation. 

John Goh, Principal of Merrylands East Public School since 2005 and an innovator in education best known for the introduction of new school hours in 2013, has been awarded this year’s major scholarship. Worth $10,000, it will provide John with the opportunity to undertake a professional education program at Harvard Graduate School of Education in the United States. 

Speaking about the award, Mr Goh said: “Being the son of a World War II refugee, and having attended public schools as part of my education, going to Harvard Graduate School seemed like an impossible dream. But this just shows what public education can achieve – supporting students to fulfil their dreams and aspirations. 

“I hope to gain insights into leadership, and to understand how to evolve my vision of education as society changes. With a more transient population and a much younger teaching staff than in previous generations, we have to develop our school leaders a lot faster than we ever have before. Principals and teachers have to be innovative to meet the challenge of getting students to think creatively.” 

Mr Goh, a prominent blogger who hosts a weekly global twitter chat about primary school education, has committed to sharing his learnings from the program online to help more Australian teachers learn new insights from one of the world’s leading education institutions. 

Steve James, CEO of Teachers Mutual Bank, comments on the announcement: “Supporting the community, particularly in the realm of education, is part of our DNA. This scholarship is a fantastic opportunity for us to give back to teachers at the grassroots. We were looking for someone with significant ability as a leader, huge potential, and real passion for public education, and there’s no doubt we’ve found that in John. I can’t wait to hear about his experience at Harvard.” 

Teachers Mutual Bank has an extensive program of scholarships as part of its award-winning CSR activities. This year, the bank was recently named, along with only two other Australian organisations, as a World’s Most Ethical Company. In 2013, the bank reached Gold status (90%) in the annual Corporate Responsibility (CR) Index published by London’s Financial Times. Teachers Mutual Bank won the ‘Best Bank in Socially Responsible Performance category’ in the Asia-Pacific Banking and Finance Awards and was recognised by the London Benchmarking Group as a global leader in community investment for the second year running.