David Loader

David Loader is a Principal Fellow in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, Melbourne University and provides consulting, design, evaluation, and strategic goal setting services for school leaders and educational organizations. David is a consultant to Girl Guides Australia, reviewing their Australian Guide Program. As part of Daintree Associates, David runs conferences and study trips for school principals in China.

David was a school principal for 32 years: Kinross Wolaroi College, Orange 1971-8; Methodist Ladies’ College, Melbourne, 1979-1996; and Wesley College, Melbourne, 1997-2002. David led Methodist Ladies' College to adopt laptops for all students in 1999, the first school in the world to do this.

He is the author of three books. The Inner Principal: Reflections on Educational Leadership, recently re-published, provides insight and analysis on being a school leader in times of change. Jousting for the New Generation: Challenges to Contemporary Schooling provides a critique of modern day schooling. Our School Our Future, co-authored with Prof. Brian Caldwell is designed to assist school leaders in a future-facing planning process.

David is a Board member of Swinburne University and Cornish College, Melbourne. He chairs the Research Committee for the de Bono Institute and is on The Senatus of The Cairnmillar Institute.

In 1999, the Australian College of Education awarded him the Sir James Darling Medal and in 2008, David received the Gold Medal from the Australian Council for Educational Leaders.

In 2000, he was awarded the Centenary Medal ‘for outstanding services to education’ and in 2010 was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for distinguished services to education, as a principal, mentor and author.

David is a Fellow of the Australian College of Education, Australian Council of Educational Leaders and the Australian Institute of Management. He is a Life Member of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.