Former Head of Social Science and Adams House at Christchurch Boys’ High School John Graham brought morality and perspective to leadership, rugby, cricket and education.

"I don't think rugby union is anywhere near as important in this country as solving the problems of poverty and unemployment. We're happy, aren't we, when our rugby team goes well, yet we're prepared to let some aspects of our nation go almost ignored."

School will be represented at Sir John’s funeral by the Headmaster and Senior Boarder. I am sure that his inspiration will continue to serve New Zealand.

I recently attended the New Zealand School Trustees Association Conference in Dunedin where, amongst a host of excellent speakers, Harlene Hayne The Vice Chancellor of Otago University talked about four common myths regarding university education.

1. High school students should know what they want to do when they grow up. Hayne said that 16 and 17 is too young for specific careers advice and if anything; careers education should be about exposing students to a wide range of vocations, not about putting students on a pathway. 

“You can’t ask a 15 year old what they want to do when they grow up because they haven’t grown up yet.” We need to recognise that students changing their minds is not a failure. I have not met a student who has found their life passion at 17.” 

The vast majority of students go to Otago because they want to go to university, not because of a specific career path.

2. Most students leave with crippling debt. The average debt for a BA is $20,000 and the average time to pay that off is seven years. Over that seven years, a BA graduate will earn $90,000 more than someone without a degree and over a lifetime that will be $150,000. Per dollar, a BA is the best investment you can make.

3. Online learning will soon replace bricks and mortar universities. The majority of students will actually make a choice to be part of a community, online courses have a lower success rate because you need to be around people to succeed.

4. Academic content is the only thing that matters. Community and capabilities are just as important if not more important

Hayne also talked about research that has identified the factors that contribute to a successful university graduate and these factors align with what is effective in schools.

• A professor who made them excited about learning
  
• A  professor who cared about them as a person
• A mentor who encouraged them to pursue their goals
• That they worked on a long term project
  
• They had a job or internship in which they applied what they were learning
  
• They were involved in extracurricular activities
  

It was reassuring to hear that community and relationships matter at a university as this reinforces our focus at CBHS. Hayne is a psychologist and something that really stuck with me from her presentation was the information that our neurology is geared to develop our longest lasting memories while we are in late adolescence i.e. school and university. The relationships we build with the boys' matter!

There will be more information coming soon about the opening of the Hall. The boys will attend an assembly on the 5th of September and there will be an assembly for the wider community on the afternoon of the 8th of September. I have enjoyed watching the construction. The Hall will be superb.

Along with the Ministry of Education, the school has appointed Athfield Architects to be involved in the design process of the new Caddick and Caldwell teaching blocks,  and we look forward to engaging with the community about this.

I do hope that everyone is managing to stay warm and well.

There are some very exciting weeks ahead.

Altiora Peto