AHISA History

2025 marks AHISA’s 40^th Anniversary, and as we look back at the past 40 years, so much has changed, and so much has stayed the same. This year, we celebrate by remembering some of the moments that have shaped AHISA’s legacy.

FORMATION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF HEADS OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS OF AUSTRALIA

At their Biennial Joint Conference, now being held in Canberra Grammar School, the Association of Heads of the Independent Girls' Schools of Australia (AHIGS) and the Headmasters' Conference of the Independent Schools of Australia (HMC) have merged to form the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia. The affairs of AHIGS and of HMCISA were officially wound up on August 26 after 45 and 54 years respectively.

Excerpt from the Opening Address of the Amalgamation Conference by Dr Maxwell Howell, chairman HMC, 26 August 1985

'AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT'

The proposition I intend to present is that, for a number of reasons, we have never really accepted the view that education ought to be a process by which a desire and respect for the acquisition of knowledge is developed so that, on leaving school, all children will have the potential to develop intellectual, moral and spiritual growth for the rest of their lives for the benefit of themselves and society in general.

Instead, we have seen education as merely a method for the development of saleable and usable skills, and as a process whereby children are 'schooled' either for the workforce or for narrowly vocational courses at tertiary institutions - a sort of 'production function' model with measurable outcomes in economic terms.

It will be argued that this attitude arose largely as a result of our history and from processes of development unique to this country, has been exemplified in decisions taken by governments and bureaucrats and perpetuated in the nation's failure to elevate the status of the teaching profession and provide it with a vision of what it might have been able to do.

AHISA chose to mark its 25^th Anniversary by reflecting on the story of Principals, students, staff and families in their school communities through those who have served as AHISA National Chairs.

25 Years of AHISA Booklet