Integrity and Honesty – Pono and Harakore

The importance of both integrity and honesty in Building Men for Life here at King’s and in life.

Both integrity and honesty are key values here at King’s. With integrity being one our key school values and honesty being a Positive Education character strength. In a secondary school context like King’s, integrity and honesty are essential for maintaining a positive academic environment, fostering personal growth, and developing responsible and ethical young men. These virtues contribute to the students' character development and prepare them for future endeavours, as we work towards Building Men for Life.

Integrity

Academic Context: Academic integrity encompasses more than honesty in the classroom. It involves consistently following academic rules and regulations, being accountable for one's actions, and exhibiting responsible behaviour. Students with integrity demonstrate a commitment to learning and academic excellence.

Leadership Context: Integrity is essential for student leaders. Those with integrity act as role models, making fair and ethical decisions, and upholding the values and principles of the school. They inspire trust among their peers and teachers and actively contribute to the well-being of the school community.

Extracurricular Context: In extracurricular activities integrity means adhering to the rules and regulations of the specific activity, displaying sportsmanship, and treating opponents and teammates with respect. Students with integrity contribute positively to the team or club, demonstrating fairness and ethical behaviour.

Personal Development Context: Personal integrity in secondary school involves staying true to oneself, maintaining a strong moral compass, and making choices aligned with personal values and beliefs. It includes standing up for what is right, even in the face of peer pressure or challenging situations.

Honesty

Academic Context: In academic settings, honesty means submitting one's own work, giving proper credit to sources through citations, and not engaging in plagiarism or cheating. It involves being truthful about one's academic achievements and abilities, promoting fairness in evaluations, and upholding academic integrity.

Interpersonal Context: In interactions with peers and teachers, honesty involves being truthful and sincere. It means not spreading rumours or engaging in dishonest behaviours such as gossiping or manipulating others. Honest communication fosters a positive and respectful school environment.

As the great leader and activist Martin Luther King Jr said, “The time is always right to do what is right.”