I am pleased to provide a foreword for this excellent publication. Harnessing the Transformative Power of Education documents the contributions of selected key note speakers and others who took part in the Education Transforms Symposium 2017. The sections of the book attest to the interesting range of topics covered in the course of the symposium: Themes and Concepts; Enabling Success in Learning; Identity, Well-being and Learning; and importantly Collaboration and Partnership.

Someone who believed unreservedly in the transformative power of education and made it his mission to tackle educational disadvantage in our community was Peter Underwood, the Governor of Tasmania (2008–2014). It was a vision we shared so I was delighted to be asked to write this preface in my capacity as Patron of the Peter Underwood Centre at the University of Tasmania. Over four years ago Vice Chancellor Peter Rathjen, then a relative newcomer to Tasmania, had the courage to comment publically that Tasmanian education outcomes were simply not good enough. You could feel the collective deep breath being taken by the community at such audacious honesty coming from a newcomer. Governor Peter Underwood, had been on the same mission and supported the Vice Chancellor’s stance stating that the “most important infrastructure for any nation is an educated and functionally literate population,” and that it was time we tackled this most pressing social and economic issue; stopped placing the sole blame on teachers, and that perhaps an honest conversation could start at Government House under Chatham House rule. Four years ago, Peter Underwood died in office, with this work unfinished. I accepted an offer from the University for the work to continue through a centre honouring his name, The Peter Underwood Centre for Educational Attainment, a partnership between the University and the State Government, to be chaired by the Governor, to signify the apolitical nature of the work.

Lifting educational outcomes in Tasmania, is a long term project in an area, that in the past, has proved resistant to progress. Historically, systemic educational change is rare, precisely because it is so difficult to achieve. But that is no reason to stop trying.

What is different this time is that never before have we had the opportunity, afforded by the powerful collaborative partnership, between the University and the State Government, as well as the good will of the community; an opportunity to shape a comprehensive long-term focus, on evidence based strategies, that improve educational outcomes, to the long term benefit of our young people and the economic benefit of our state.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. And, what a village of collaboration, in the interests of Tasmanian young people, the Underwood Centre has become. You only have to look at the Education Transforms Symposium 2017 to see the interesting mix of key note speakers, experts in their field, along with researchers, practising teachers, students, health professionals, sociologists, those with an interest in indigenous welfare, early childhood educators, child carers, Children’s University personnel.

As an educator I knew, that taking into account genetics, societal issues and parenting, the quality of my teaching, was the most significant factor in influencing learning. So, in a spirit of collaboration with my colleagues, I was constantly looking out for what works in moving students’ learning on; what does the knowledge from the research say; what effective strategies do others have that may be useful to me and my students. As a head of school I was conscious that research must be able to be understood and effectively applied, not left sitting in an inbox, un-opened or on the book shelf gathering dust in the busy staff rooms of teachers under pressure; after all a word from the wise is of no use unless it can be understood and applied. The beauty of the Underwood Centre is the access practitioners have to researchers and vice versa. It was my professional experience that once artificial barriers are removed and common purpose agreed upon, open, honest and trusting collaborative relationships can be established. Collaboration is a very powerful tool in bringing about change.

So as Patron of the Underwood Centre from me and the Underwood family a big thank you to all involved for significant progress to date; this was never intended to be a quick fix and it is good to know that, largely thanks to the momentum for change generated by our late Governor, Peter Underwood, the University of Tasmania and the State Government, the Underwood Centre is well positioned to tackle the deeply entrenched educational challenges that affect the lives of so many in our community.