Mr Scott told principals from Mudgee, Dunedoo Bathurst, Blayney, Orange, Lithgow, Oberon, Parkes, Wellington, Cowra, and even as far away as Bourke, that the state's 2200 public schools were making solid progress towards the department's vision of being "Australia's best education system and one of the finest in the world".

He told the Western NSW Education Forum for Principals in Orange that the vision will be realised with their ongoing dedication to improvement and transformation.

"Our shared purpose is to put students at the centre of everything we do," Mr Scott said.

"Our work must be driven, and judged, by a focus on the individual child and on constant improvement in every school and classroom.

"We have to make sure that every child is known, valued and cared for.

"We are working to ensure that every student is successfully prepared for further education, training and work, and that our education system reduces the impact of disadvantage.

"I applaud your determination to lead schools that achieve these goals and contribute to the fulfilment of our public education vision."

The Orange gathering is one of 12 forums for public school principals conducted across regional and metropolitan NSW.

They follow the success of forums last year where the Department of Education's 2018-2022 strategic plan was outlined to principals.

During his face-to-face discussions with principals, Mr Scott commended their contribution towards achieving the education goals and performance measures.

Principals were offered the opportunity to reflect on leadership and transformation of schools during a panel discussion, moderated by Mr Scott, in which three principals shared experiences at their school.

Joining Mr Scott were Murat Dizdar, deputy secretary School Operations and Performance, and Georgina Harrisson, deputy secretary Educational Services.