Mrs Anna Owen, the 15th Principal of Canberra Girls Grammar School today welcomed students to the 2019 School Year.
Mrs Owen said, “Beginning 2019 as the 15th Principal of this historic school, this year is a significant one for me. I look forward to meeting and getting to know you at various events, while enjoying the warm welcome of the Canberra Girls Grammar community alongside the new families who have also joined us this year.”
“A great deal of progress has been made with regard to gender equity in Australia, but the work is not finished. I only need to look across to Parliament House here in our nation’s Capital where slightly more than 30% of our elected representatives are women, to see how much work still needs to be done, placing more women in positions of power.”
“Canberra Girls was established in 1926 when a small group of women refused to allow a valuable and important opportunity to pass them by. These women were Sisters of the Church, an organisation founded by Mother Emily Ayckbowm. Mother Emily’s fearless leadership, zeal, pioneering spirit and good humour remains as an enduring role model for our community.”
“It is my belief that educating girls and young women at this unique time in history is a privilege. Our purpose is to educate girls. Our intent is to develop young women that are able to articulate what it is to be well-educated, who understand the great responsibility of receiving a great education and who insist on living ethically and purposely.”
“A well-respected friend of mine put the role of schools such as ours best, her name is Loren Bridge and she said”, “Simply put, every aspect of a girls’ school is tailored to girls and how they learn, without competition and social pressure from boys, and this is enormously empowering for girls.”
“It is an honour to commence my time at Canberra Girls Grammar School and I look forward to furthering the great work of this institution in creating pathways in all walks of life for the young women who study here.”