A young secondary student aspiring to become a journalist rocked up to his local newspaper to enquire about a job. The Swan Hill Guardian editor told him to come back when he’d finished school.

Dale Pearce never became a journalist. Instead, after completing school he successfully applied for teaching and was awarded a valuable studentship.

Studentships supported teachers financially throughout their teacher training—however, graduates were obliged to go wherever the Education Department sent them for their first appointment.

At the State College of Victoria—which later became part of Melbourne Uni—Dale’s teaching method focused on History, Geography and Politics. But without the studentship, it is highly unlikely his family could have supported his aspirations.

Dale also got lucky with his first appointment, describing his time at Geelong’s Bell Park High School as “a fantastic start”.

“There were many experienced teachers who became important mentors for me. I became involved in local sport, and it would have been very easy to stay there.”

However, after 14 years, two important lifestyle and career factors influenced a decision in 1993 to move to Cobram Secondary College. Firstly, Dale was keen to return to a rural setting and the familiarity of Murray River country.

Secondly, the appointment was a promotion to leading teacher and Dale spent four years in Cobram.

Over the next thirteen years, positions at Bendigo’s Flora Hill Secondary College, Echuca, Sea Lake, St Arnaud, and Bacchus Marsh followed. Dale moved from leading teacher to assistant principal to principal appointments.

“I hadn’t married yet, so these moves didn’t impact another person’s career, and I look back on these experiences as great grounding for my future.

“I encourage teachers to go to small country schools. In rural schools you’ve got to do everything, including—back then—getting tennis balls off the roof! It builds an awareness of the multitude of roles staff fulfil.”

Meeting his future partner Cath, who was based in Bendigo, led Dale to look out for positions in Central Victoria and during third term in 2006 the BSSC principal position was advertised.

At the time, BSSC was viewed as one of the best principal positions in the state.

“It was a much more complex school than others I had worked at, and the complexity wasn’t only the sheer size of the college.”

BSSC was also a registered training provider, offered numerous specialist and supportive programs, and NETschool had recently been established.

Beginning the role in October 2006, Dale recalls there was lots to get his head around those first few months—including letting go of past practice: it was never going to work to think he could do every leadership role as he had at some of the smaller colleges.

“I remember it being incredibly hectic because I needed to understand the focus of other roles, and I needed to trust my staff to do their jobs—especially the team of assistant principals.

“There’s no way you can micromanage in this role.”

One lucky piece of timing was the college celebrating its centenary early in 2007.

“People had been preparing for the event for almost ten years and they gave me a great understanding of the history of the school, its culture, and its standing in the community.”

Since then, alongside his role implementing the strategic and annual plan, and attending to the day-to-day business of the college, Dale’s diary has been crammed full of appointments and commitments.

However, he estimates he’s only ever been in control of around 50% of his time. The other half is focused on responding to the inevitable unplanned daily situations that arise.

Almost 19 years later, Dale can reflect on the physical upgrades he has watched, overseen or been a driving force behind. These include the removal of 25 transportable classrooms and major renovations to facilities across the college to ensure first-class teaching and learning spaces.

The Alexander Wing—C-Block—including the library, was extensively renovated in 2017 and D-Block, the following year. The Trade Training Centre was revamped, and a carpark and covered outdoor basketball court filled the area previously occupied by the 25 portable classrooms.

More recently G-Block was updated and equipped with technologies that created a state-of-the-art Maths Department.

A project Dale remembers as “invigorating and exciting” and one that enriched BSSC’s assembly and performing opportunities was the radical redevelopment of the old Bendigo gaol into the beautiful Ulumbarra Theatre complex, opened in 2015.

A State Government grant to the college of $8 million was the catalyst for Dale to approach the City of Bendigo (COGB) who were—fortuitously—looking for possible ways to develop a 1000-seat theatre for the community.

The City’s contribution of $3 million was matched by another $3 million from Regional Development Victoria, and an application to the federal government resulted in a further $13 million.

Opened in 2015, and named by the local Dja Dja Wurrung Traditional Owners, ‘Ulumbarra’, Bendigo and BSSC now had a world-class ‘meeting place’ for ‘gathering together’.

During his first few years at the college Dale became concerned about the way distance education was being delivered across Victoria and did some research—and quite a bit of travel—wondering if there was a better way.

“We thought it would be about supporting students in small country schools where they were unable to access specialist teachers,” Dale says, “but 25% of the cohort is now metropolitan.”

In 2011 the Victorian Virtual Learning Network began delivering. In 2024 the network had 343 students enrolled from 65 locations across Victoria.

The same year, in April 2011, the Language Centre was opened.

Dale is particularly proud of BSSC’s role supporting Chinese Language Programs across many Bendigo schools and colleges.

Through the Confucius Classroom, thousands of primary and secondary students—and community members—can learn Chinese from a teacher whose mother-tongue is Mandarin.

Alongside these projects, direct services, and opportunities for BSSC students expanded too.

The Wellbeing Team, the Scholars’ Hut, the Careers & Pathways Team, the Student Services Team, the Homework Club, the Communications Team, student leadership opportunities, and the Breakfast Club have all grown.

Programs such as Geared 4 Careers and Head Start fast-track students into their chosen careers, and various subject-focused ‘bootcamps’ provide valuable extra (free) tuition.

The growing diversity and inclusiveness of the college has increasingly benefitted students from a variety of cultural backgrounds, those with disabilities, and members of the LGBTIQA+ community.

Feedback from students about how much they enjoy attending BSSC is overwhelmingly positive. Dale believes they find the college a special place that meets their needs very well.

“I also believe the college is part of the fabric of the city,” Dale says. “Students feel very connected to the park, the city, and the community.”

He also believes other critical influences include the history of the school, the quality of past leadership, the success of BSSC’s transition program, and the day-to-day culture of the college.

“Our footprint is large, but we have never lost sight of who we are as a school.”

When it comes to serious challenges, Dale nominates the pandemic as the most difficult period of his time here.

“It was sudden and had to be managed on a day-by-day basis,” he says.

“With over half of the students having been at the college for less than a month, and the others starting Year 12, the pandemic and the lockdowns had the potential to impact BSSC heavily.”

However, the college held a couple of ‘aces’ because of the competence and flexibility of staff—and these were employed to great advantage.

“Our phenomenal teachers were already using a lot of the technology we needed to keep classes going, and staff were flexible enough to change roles—especially ES staff and middle-level leaders.

“The other huge challenge I have faced has been the lack of implementation of the Gonski Report’s recommendations, leaving the college starved of recurrent funding. While we were fortunate to acquire capital funding for individual projects, I’d say financial concerns were what kept me awake at night during the first ten years.

“Despite this, I’d like to think I have always made decisions based on a path that would best suit the college.”

Dale still enjoys coming to work every day and says he’s been personally enriched by his time here, including feeling very connected to the wider Bendigo community.

“Everywhere I go, people know my name and say hello.

“These days I’m more tolerant of people with a wide range of ideas, and I think I’m much more knowledgeable—even smarter—because I’ve been exposed to highly capable people in schools, the community and government.

“I’m really pleased to see Kylie Hand stepping into this role. There is no more deserving person, and she will do a fabulous job.”

Meanwhile, Dale is looking forward to spending more time with his family as well as catching up with friends—who are scattered across Victoria thanks to his willingness to take up diversely-located positions during his early career.

There could be a trip to South America on the cards too.

He also plans to get more involved with a range of other interests—including golf, the guitar, cycling, and more time in the kitchen cooking up a storm while listening to Jackson Browne.

But the big question is this:

If Dale could go back and give himself some advice on his first day in the job, what would he tell himself?

Here’s the list:

  • Remember that you don’t have all the answers
  • Invest time in understanding and valuing the work of staff
  • When the first bat arrives in Rosalind Park, make enough noise to move him/her on
  • Look up the word ‘pandemic’ in the dictionary