Headmaster's Report ( Part 1 of 3 )
In an age when what is expedient is right it is necessary to highlight what is the more common
philosophy in all areas of education that - if it is right it is expedient. Only too often the
urgency of inculcating true educational values is hidden behind so much of the reporting
concerning education and educational establishments. The balance is too often tipped towards the
alleged sanctity of statistics in an endeavour to have the public believe that the be all, and
the end all, of all scholastic activity is to be found in examination results. We will not here
dwell upon the now well-worn definition of statistics as a gradation from established facts to
downright lies nor to pretend that the ethos of all schools is cast in the same melting pot.
Teachers do not live in nor act In a vacuum; they have a very close and very important role to
play in the growth of the child from its very early years to its entry to the adult world; they
can only act efficiently when they have the cooperation of parents in the whole area of
educational training and not merely In the pursuit of 'certificated' learning. In the course of
this report, while we gladly congratulate those who have gained distinction academically we are
also fully aware that there are inexaminable areas of effort and behaviour for which no
certificate is given, no prize awarded, no trophy presented. Very many parents, thank God,
accompany the efforts of the teacher all the way through the educational life of the child and
complement, at home, all that is done to impress upon the growing young that, if it is right,
not only is it expedient, but that the quest for right - honesty of behaviour, integrity in our
dealings with others, consciousness of the needs of those with handicaps of poverty or age or
friendliness - is the unseen certificate which many attain to the possession of and which goes
unheralded.
We have already, on several other occasions, paid tribute to the staff and pupils of the past 50
years who laid the traditions of which the school is now proud. We must however also accord our
tribute to the staff and pupils currently at the school for what they have done, and do, to
maintain the pride of those traditions. In a Christian community we try to establish christian
principles and so it was with particular joy that we welcomed a former member of staff - himself
a past pupil - with a team of Sisters, Brothers and Priests, for a 'God who cares' week of
meditation and reflection which involved parents as well as pupils and brought to the notice of
many the variety of service done for the good of others throughout the world. The "GO, therefore
, teach all nations" request of Christ was seen in the work of caring for the Third World in
hospital, school, agriculture, engineering - in the field, so to speak -and not merely by the
occasional donations from a reasonably full purse to some dramatic event, such as the present
earthquake in Turkey or the disasters in Chile. While the pupils may, or may not, accept the
invitation to enter personally such an area of evangelical effort, they do at least, show
consciousness in, eg the efforts of some of the senior pupils in our own local Whittlesea school
where although they may not be aware of it, and do not seek any reward, their efforts are much
appreciated both by staff and children. This work is complemented by the other charitable
efforts in sponsored football, sponsored swims, sponsored walks, individual contributions to
various good causes such as, the Providence Row venture which provides shelter for some 80 men
and 80 women each night and a meal each day for many more. Their contribution to this was over
£200; for the Handicapped Children, mentally handicapped, blind, deaf, orphaned or otherwise
deprived, sums totalling over £800 were raised and distributed.
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