Scotch College

A home far from home

Arriving at Scotch as a boarder from a land far away can be daunting – but there are many ways Scotch helps boarders to settle in and feel at home.

Words: Mr David Ashton

It may come as a surprise to learn that 14 countries are represented among the approximately 160 boys in the three Scotch boarding houses, including students from New Zealand, Fiji, United Kingdom, Brunei, Oman, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. Some are the sons of expatriate Old Scotch boys. Others are from families who have had no previous experience of Scotch, but are aware of the high value of a Scotch education and exposure to Australian culture.

Wherever they come from, for our overseas boarders life in the boarding house is a totally new experience. Fully aware of this, the Scotch boarding house has developed ways of helping overseas students to settle in well, feel at home, and participate fully in school life.

School House Tutor Mr Barrie Burton is the Overseas Student Contact Officer, closely monitoring the overseas students’ progress, including their attendance at school, their study, welfare and well-being. If there are special study or personal needs, Mr Burton liaises with the Heads of the boarding houses and the Dean of Boarding to help the students.

‘We encourage boys to participate actively in the whole school experience, co-curricular and core-curricular,’ Barrie says. This gives them a ready passport into the school, and it’s also a way of forging friendships and relationships that will sustain them from this point forward.’

McMeckan House Tutor Chris Chuang (who is an Old Boy and a former Vice-Captain of McMeckan House) is the Overseas Student Activities Officer. In partnership with Barrie, Chris helps to ensure that the special needs of these students are well catered for. Food and facilities are the same for all boarders, but Chris makes sure he is aware of any concerns they may have, or any barriers they may be facing.

During each term, Chris helps to organise activities for the boys in conjunction with the Hill Activities Officer, Tim Bence, including a visit to one of the local Asian restaurants so that the boys get to know each other better. In Term 1, a group of 14 boys chose a Vietnamese restaurant in Glenferrie Road for their night out.

Chris says his role is a mentoring one. ‘Because I’m not that long out of school – 2003 – I think boys feel comfortable in confiding in me,’ he says. ‘And it probably helps that I’m not a member of teaching staff. I also organise three Year 11 boys to help mentor the younger boys.’

The orientation camp at Cowes in Term 1, run by Barrie and Chris for new overseas students, plays an important role in developing active participation in school life. Boys get together in a fun, holiday atmosphere, making new friends with boys from their own or other countries, and being briefed on the adjustments they will need to make as they encounter a new culture. As a further part of the monitoring and caring process, a senior overseas boarder in each house acts as an unofficial ‘overseas student leader’.

Our overseas boarders add much to the cultural diversity of the boarding house and of the school itself. Their varying cultures enrich the school and help to broaden understanding and tolerance among all Scotch students. GS