Global EdTech Awards 2025: more than a personal accolade, it's a global endorsement of TGS's strategic approach to IT, online safety and education.

This year, Toowoomba Grammar School was honoured at the Global EdTech Awards, becoming the only Australian school to receive recognition in this category of the prestigious international program. While the category - Best Network Manager - may not often make headlines, it celebrates the quiet achievers who empower learning, protect students and enable innovation.

Arthur C. Clarke once said, Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” If that’s true, then network managers are the magicians of modern education: weaving invisible threads through classrooms, enabling ideas to take flight and ensuring that every digital interaction is safe, purposeful and empowering.

Mr Robinson has joined the School after working extensively in IT

And the Winner Is…

Toowoomba Grammar School (Ron Robinson), Queensland, Australia

In announcing the winner, Dr Oterman praised TGS’s nomination for its strategic innovation, technical excellence and most importantly, its unwavering commitment to student wellbeing and community engagement.

TGS’s approach to technology goes far beyond tools and trends. It’s about intentional integration -empowering educators, protecting students and creating a secure, transparent environment where learning can flourish. The School’s model, now recognised internationally across more than 20 countries, is built on a foundation of child protection and eSafety, setting a new benchmark for educational technology leadership.

From Legacy to Leadership

This award marks the culmination of a three-year transformation - a shift from reactive IT support to a proactive, visionary force. Under Ron Robinson’s leadership, the School has reimagined its digital environment to be robust, secure and purpose-driven. It’s not just about technology; it’s about creating a space where students and educators can dream, innovate and thrive.

2024 Dux Aaron Nelbin has gone on to study Medicine in Melbourne

Technology with Purpose: Putting Boys’ Safety First

At TGS, student safety is non-negotiable. Every digital decision is made with the wellbeing of our boys at the centre. From cyber safety education to secure network design, our systems are built to protect, empower and prepare students for life beyond school: helping them become independent, balanced and resilient young men. This is in line with our purpose of educating boys and developing their good character for life.

Regional Leadership and Community Impact

This award also recognises TGS’s role as a regional leader, offering a platform for local schools to engage in vendor showcases, security roundtables and strategic forums. By breaking down barriers to knowledge and fostering collaboration, TGS is helping build a stronger, safer digital future for all schools in our region. In Term 1 of this year our School hosted at MITIE (Managing ICT In Education) Inc Conference: ICT Strategy and Leadership with a number of interstate speakers including our own Headmaster, Dr John Kinniburgh.

A Quiet Celebration

Upon receiving confirmation of the win on Friday, 19 September, I reflected not on personal accolades, but on the journey of a team. I feel technology has never been my goal; it’s about intention, purpose and application.

“This award is a quiet affirmation of a job well done not just by me, but by a team committed to making a difference.”
— Mr Ron Robinson, Director of Information Technology
Mr Ron Robinson gives much credit to his team

Looking Ahead: Vision, Courage and Heart

While awards are wonderful, they are not the destination. The real reward lies in the systems we build, the lives we impact and the futures we shape. At TGS, we continue to ask: "What’s next?" And we answer with action - through consistent cyber safety practices, strategic planning and a commitment to purpose-driven innovation.

We encourage our boys to align what they do with what they believe, to listen to voices braver than their own and to embrace technology not as a distraction, but as a window to transformation.


Latest Blog

Teaching Excellence
/
Wednesday, 24 July 2024

Honouring Tradition, Preparing for the Future

They will invariably be inspired by effective teaching and the satisfaction of personal achievement will always be motivating. At Toowoomba Grammar School, the power of high-quality instructional practices has resulted in the development of a strong academic culture that has endured for nearly 150 years. Preserving core principles provides stability and continuity. However, we must be open to continuously adapting our methods so that our students are well-prepared for the ever-changing world…

Read More
Character & Wellbeing
/
Wednesday, 17 July 2024

We See You - Mitchell Wilkes

That was the heart-wrenching diagnosis for Year 10 student, Mitchell Wilkes, right on Christmas in 2021. Mitchell’s mum noticed he wasn’t reading properly and had a gut feeling that there was something wrong with his eyesight. A trip to the optometrist revealed a thinning in the retina, and further tests showed that Mitchell had a genetic condition called Stargardt Disease, a juvenile macular degeneration illness that results in slow central vision loss.

Read More
Old Boys
/
Thursday, 11 July 2024

Correcting our School's official record commemorating World War I and World War II

On the eve of our 150th year, we're calling on the School's alumni, parents, past parents and greater community to aid us in correcting the record of our involvement in two watershed geopolitical events of the 20th century. For the last four years Toowoomba Grammar School Museum Volunteers, Mrs Ann Hallam and Mrs Sue Palmer, have been updating the School records on Old Boys, staff and Trustees for the World War I and World War II theatres of war. Over the years several staff and volunteers have…

Read More
Grammar 150
/
Monday, 01 July 2024

A Pioneering Woman of TGS

My late husband was a teacher, and our four children are all teachers, which we encouraged them to do because it is the best job in the world. It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for 36 years, working under four Headmasters: Mr Bill Dent, Mr Hugh Rose, Mr Peter Hauser and now Dr John Kinniburgh. I still drive into the School each day and smile, looking at the beautiful place it is — magnificent ovals, gracious trees and historically significant buildings. It is difficult to express the…

Read More
Sports & Activities
/
Thursday, 13 June 2024

NZ Rugby Tour success, more than winning matches across the Ditch

The teams were undefeated and it was a trip the players will never forget. This tour was years in the making and heralds a new era of touring and hosting different rugby schools to give our players opportunities for growth as athletes and as people. Head of Sport - Rugby, Mr Lincoln Clapham, explained they selected 46 students to take part in the ten-day tour and began training last year. From Term 1 onwards, the squad trained twice weekly on the oval plus two and sometimes three gym sessions…

Read More
Teaching & Learning
/
Thursday, 06 June 2024

Aussie Teen Reading Habits Revealed

I was recently sent an article, summarising some research from Deakin University around the reading habits of teens in 2024. Some of it was, as the title suggests, surprising. Some was not. However, all of it was built around the importance of reading, and supporting our teens to read, which is something that every one of us should do. While we tend to see our teens as digital natives, recent research from Deakin University suggests that the average Aussie teen reader would rather flick through…

Read More
Community Engagement
/
Wednesday, 29 May 2024

Now More Than Ever

The one-of-a-kind Indigenous artwork is emblazoned across the shirts for the First IV Tennis team, jerseys for the First XI Football team and First XV Rugby team and First V Basketball team's singlets. National Reconciliation Week is a significant date on the calendar for all Australians, running from Monday, 27 May to Monday, 3 June. The incorporation of this Indigenous design in our uniforms is a significant milestone for our School, especially for our 47 Aboriginal and Torres Strait…

Read More
Teaching & Learning
/
Thursday, 23 May 2024

It's a numbers game, making mathematics mainstream

Term 2 has been a busy one in the Mathematics department; from multiple year levels having extended assessment tasks to competitions run inside and outside the School. Using mathematical equations to recreate artwork The Year 11 Mathematical Methods students got a chance to be very creative with their assessment - using numbers to reproduce artwork. The boys visited the 2024 Grammar Art Show in Term 1 and were given the task to reproduce a chosen work using their knowledge of mathematical…

Read More
Boarding
/
Thursday, 16 May 2024

Bucolic beginnings, boarding and becoming a bowel surgeon

Coming from a cattle property near Injune I was in awe of the School’s ovals with lush, green grass and immaculate facilities. I found being able to throw yourself around and not risk skin cuts and grazes quite novel. Sharing the same field where many Old Boys and past heroes trotted was inspirational. I found the comradery among the boarders my most overwhelming memory. It was like having 60 brothers with similar interests all living under the same roof. There was always someone around to kick…

Read More