Dear Parents,

"Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?"     T S Eliot

Many readers will be familiar with criticism of the current curriculum, in particular those critics who rail against the marginalisation of knowledge in favour of self-discovered learning, or self-guided learning, or self-directed learning, or whatever the latest buzzword is for education policies that have been a disaster. Like modern-learning environments. Faddism at its worst.

The recent pause on the curriculum changes is just another example of how disruptive that space has been in recent times, although it might well have been met with a sigh of relief among teachers. While, like T S Eliot, we hope that through knowledge we might one day attain wisdom, there are those who think that knowledge no longer plays a critical role in education because all the information we need is now at our fingertips, at the press of a button.

Yet knowledge continues to be at the very heart of learning, for it is only through knowledge that we are able to advance to higher level thinking, the kind of thinking those who have sought to reduce the importance of knowledge think happens as if by osmosis.

Schools in New South Wales have returned to what they are calling an explicit teaching model, where pupils are shown by their teachers “how to do something step by step and have them practice repeatedly until they get it right, rather than a model based on self-discovery and letting them find their own way.” The evidence base on explicit teaching is vast, and it is not new. The results are speaking for themselves: pupils who experience explicit teaching in Year 7 are on average four months ahead of their learning by Year 9.

It is refreshing to see the words “evidence-based,” because all too often decisions have been made about teaching and learning in our country that are not even closely based on evidence, from classroom approaches such as modern-learning environments, to streaming, and to curriculum changes.

Let us hope that a similarly common-sense approach will be adopted for our own schools in the coming years, although as the saying goes, the problem with common sense is that it’s not that common these days.

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“Now is the time for the artists and the poets.”

So said a presenter at the Association of Boys’ Schools Headmasters’ Conference recently. Amidst the rapidly developing world of technology, where now days we can even get telephones on which you can get emails and that, it is becoming more and more important that the humanities subjects are not neglected. Indeed, the humanities are needed now more than ever. The ability to communicate with people, to build and develop inter-personal relationships, are seen by some as a dying art. I am reminded of the visit of one of our groups on an overseas tour who, in San Francisco, was told by an executive from a world-leading electronic games company, that they could get any number of people who could code and programme, but unless they had good communication skills, and could talk to people, they would not get a job with their company. What some call the soft skills, they said, were more important than someone’s technical skills.

So, a great message to our young men is get out from behind the screen and talk to people.

Winter Sport

There are substantial numbers of young men playing winter sport and we have worked with assiduity to get a staff member as a coach or manager. As you can appreciate, this is a major undertaking for the school, and I sincerely thank those staff and senior students who have given so freely of their time to maintain an essential part of our school life. I also thank parents and volunteers who are assisting with teams as this allows your sons to have the best coaching we have available. We have been most fortunate to attract enthusiastic people with the boys’ best interests at heart.

It has been interesting to hear from coaches of responses to the selection or non-selection of boys in various teams. These decisions are made objectively, and not everyone will agree. That is the nature of team selection. Selection for a number of our teams is very competitive, perhaps even more so than some age-group rep sides, where factors other than ability can be influential. A number of our young men will be disappointed, as will parents on their behalf, which is natural; but the reactions of some have been disappointing. Determination and resilience are called for in these instances as is the putting aside of partisan selectorial beliefs that one’s son is the best player on the park.

Please remember that full and correct sporting uniform needs to be worn for all fixtures. We do not allow young men to have skins or similar clothing visible underneath their sports uniform. We have also reminded young men that it is our expectation that their socks are pulled up on the sports field and that the uniform is being worn correctly and with pride. We appreciate your support as standards are set in all aspects of school life. A further reminder that if a young man is away from school the day prior or day of a sporting fixture, he is ineligible to play.

Inter-School Fixtures and Field Trips

Before an inter-school fixture or field trip departs it is expected that any costs associated with the trip are paid in full to the Finance Office. Young men who have not paid will not have permission to go on the trip, as is the case with the completion of appropriate documentation such as permission slips. Again, we appreciate your support in being up to date with all school fees.

Young men in first sporting teams and those in our top performing arts groups are expected to attend both home and away fixtures in full formal uniform (No 1s). It is expected that all members have their own formal uniform, including blazer. This allows the school’s hire blazers to be utilised by those who do not regularly wear the formal uniform. Senior blazers can be ordered by seeing Mrs Alderdice in the Uniform Outlet.

For those young men wishing to hire blazers for ‘one off’ occasions a refundable deposit and associated fee is charged. Mrs Dearlove in The Speirs Centre can provide more information about this service.

D M Bovey

RECTOR