General News
24 February, 2026
From Japan to the Hill, Dean’s ‘home’
DEAN BRAY is back in Australia bringing a new perspective to the classroom.
He has swapped a career in international relations and business consultancy for teaching at Pyramid Hill College.
The last 13 years saw Dean working in Japan where he became involved with a high school research project.
“I loved it but it was time for a change and a return to Australia,” said Dean who is again close to his home town of Swan Hill.
He made the transition to the classroom through the Teach for Australia program that in the last 15 years has placed more than 1700 new teachers.
“Educational inequity is holding Australian students back. But a child’s postcode should never determine their future,” the company says.
“Since 2009, Teach For Australia have helped the bold come together to make a real impact where it matters most: the classroom.”
Dean, who is teaching humanities, economics, business and careers at Pyramid Hill, said he had just one request for his first position in a classroom. “I wanted to be at a country school. These schools have a community and you can achieve so much more,
“When was growing up and going to school in Swan Hill, there would be other students coming in from Ultima and other parts of the district. They were better (at school) than us.”
Dean said smaller class sizes contributed to the success of country students.
“But it’s more than that - it’s family, community,” he said.
“Everything links in a small community. It’s something kids don’t get in other educational environments.
In Japan, Dean also worked supporting Yamagata City’s sister city relationships, supported residents from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. provided cultural experiences and events for residents of Yamagata City to gain exposure to international perspectives and supported high school students in their research projects.
Being part of the school research projects was a key trigger in Dean making a career change.
And Dean says there’s excitement to be working with the 2026 Year 10 cohort.
That group in 2025 was the best performing across the Loddon Mallee region in NAPLAN results.
“After 13 years in Japan, it’s great to be back in Australia and working in a great country school doing great things for the students,” he said.
Read More: Pyramid Hill