On August 29th, in Craiova, 18 school headmasters from the Southern region of the country (the counties in Muntenia and Oltenia) shall enter the regional judging phase of the Headmasters of the Year Awards Gala, organised by AVE (The Association for Values in Education). For the very first time, AVE added to the judging process a regional-level phase, which engages representatives of the top companies in Romania, present in the region, of the non-government sector, of school inspectorates, of the students or the media.
The structure of the three regional judging committees is tailored depending on the award category, whereas the members of each committee shall individually score each headmaster during a 60-minute interview, set to take place either in person or online.
As such, of the six regional finalists for the three award categories – Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Equal opportunities – the headmaster who receives the highest score will reach the national judging phase. There will be three winners of the regional judging phase in Craiova, who will advance to the national phase next to the headmasters designated as winners in the other three cities where regional judging proceedings are taking place: Galați, Oradea and Cluj-Napoca.
The Headmasters of the Year Awards Gala is the opportunity to demonstrate that the school headmaster is a vector of change that provides critical thrust to the educational community, while also being a source of inspiration to other headmasters. With each edition of the Gala, AVE enables partnerships between schools and companies, schools and NGOs and augments the impact of education in each individual’s life, beyond the immediate realm of school.
“For me, the Headmaster of the Year for Entrepreneurship award is the most exquisite recognition of the positive deeds at “Traian” School and a reason to rejoice for all the parents choosing to enrol their children with our school, for all our colleagues and children. We have all seen the proof of having taken the right path, of doing together things that matter, of being able to have “a school as they do abroad”. And I dare to believe that this acknowledgement has boosted even more our confidence and enthusiasm reflected in the results achieved by our students at the Middle School Graduation Exam, but also in the number of valuable projects implemented in school, aided by people and organisations that believe in us”, stated Diana Brătucu, headmaster of “Traian” Middle School in Craiova, winner of the “Headmaster of the Year for Entrepreneurship” award in 2023.
The awards ceremony of the Gala’s eight edition will be held on October 24, at Bucharest National Opera House, when 4 school headmasters are set to be awarded for the Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Equal opportunities categories, and the winner of the grand award, the 2024 Headmaster of the Year, will be announced.
The Innovation category takes a close-up of achievements that have enabled unlocking certain processes, have brought in players from outside the school to fulfil objectives, have pursued the use of technology or innovation elements for visible learning in students. The Entrepreneurship category focuses on skills demonstrated in managing resources and the budget, in identifying and raising additional income, but also in the savvy spotting of opportunities where challenges existed. The Equal opportunities category is dedicated to endeavours that have helped each student enjoy participation in school, and the more vulnerable of the children be integrated and enjoy academic progress.
The 2024 Headmaster of the Year title is granted to one of the finalists of the first 3 award categories, who exceeds the expected level of one particular category and meets cross-cutting criteria: they have a clear vision of the path they are taking to lead the educational establishment, demonstrate creativity, communication and negotiation skills, resilience before challenges, they are an inspirational leader, they know how to motivate their team and to create a positive learning environment for the adults and the students.
The award granted to each category shall be 3,500 Euro, an amount aimed at supporting the headmasters in their projects that are under way at their schools or at starting up a new project, but also a secured spot within the Program for the Transformation of Schools in Romania, coordinated by AVE.
The media partners supporting the eighth edition of The Headmasters of the Year Awards Gala are: Republica, BIZ magazine, Agerpres and Cariere magazine.
About The Association for Values in EducationThe Association for Values in Education (AVE) is a non-profit organisation whose main goal is to bring the educational system in Romania to Europe’s top 10 by 2035. AVE wishes to support the transformation of the educational system in Romania into one that promotes respect, honesty, team spirit and responsibility. You can stay in touch with AVE’s endeavours by following the LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram pages.