On September 12th, in Oradea, 15 school headmasters from the Western region of the country (the counties in Crișana and Banat) shall enter the regional judging phase of the Headmasters of the Year Awards Gala, organised by AVE (The Association for Values in Education). Two of the headmasters are regional finalists in two categories.
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 each award category – 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 Oradea, 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: Craiova, Galați 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.
“The award offered by AVE represents the acknowledgement of my work within and for the community. The provided grant amounting to 3,500 Euro was used as part of activities intended for students, parents and teachers. 35 students, accompanied by five teachers, enjoyed a trip to Craiova University Centre and attended for the first time a theatre play. One group of teachers took part in a working visit at a private school in Bucharest in order to have an exchange of best practices and understand the variety of educational activities in urban areas as opposed to those in rural areas, as well as those in the private system vs those in the public one. A dedicated space was outfitted for the parents, allowing them to meet and, in a setting symbolically designated “The parents’ coffee lounge”, to share their past experiences while “professing parenthood”, joined by a psychologist from the community. Moreover, a space was set up in the school yard, where students and teachers can relax during school breaks and beyond.
Receiving this award has had a positive impact on our school, has opened for us opportunities to collaborate with other institutions, has incentivised us to complete more activities, to surpass ourselves and say in unison: «YES, it can be done. Together we are strong»”, stated Rosemarie Delia Cocoană, headmaster of the Middle School in Eșelnița, winner of the “Headmaster of the Year for Equal Opportunities” 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, Cariere magazine and România pozitivă.
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.