Scotch College

The July 1985 edition of Great Scot reported that Neil Roberts would ‘assume the responsibilities of Bursar from 1 September 1985, to allow Ken Field to gradually ease out from the areas of involvement with the Scotch Family and join the ranks of the retired on 31 December 1985.’ On Friday, 29 April the last school bell of the day will be the signal for Neil Roberts to take his leave after 20 magnificent years as School Bursar. Neil was aware that he had big shoes to fill but was determined to do the role ‘his way’. The Neil Roberts legacy to Scotch is rich and diverse. Neil has made a wonderful contribution to the Scotch Family in a myriad of ways – as a leader, as a mentor, as a strategic thinker, as a developer, as a moderator and as a friend. Great Scot recently spoke to Neil as he approaches the next chapter of his life and the responses below are just a snapshot of a more detailed interview that Neil has prepared for the School archives.

Great Scot (GS): Describe your style of bursarship:

NR: Some things have a very long lead time between cause and effect and some people find it boring that you have to look at something ten years on to know whether you’ve actually made any progress. But I’m a confident longer-term planner. I’m more bored by the trivia of detail and day-to-day things. I’m very content to move the Queen Mary an inch. I can get a high out of progressing a journey as much as reaching a destination.

I’ve never been shy to make decisions. You probably get two out of ten wrong but you keep going forward and pick up the pieces of that 20 per cent. But at least you’ve got eight things right. And at the end of the day, eight steps forwards and two back is a long way forward. I know people who are much more cautious than that but they don’t go ahead as far or as fast. I’ve probably had a bit more flair for guiding the council towards decision and courage rather than towards shyness and safety. An experienced educator once said to me ‘If Scotch doesn’t do it what Australian school will?’ On the other hand I have the experience to add wisdom to my decision-making, and I have learnt that you’ve got to know when you’re losing. The most successful people I have met know quickest when they’re losing.

It’s become a tradition through the last couple of Bursars that we are meant to be formidable – modest but formidable. As the importance of the School as a business has grown, caution must be taken to protect the educational flair and respect evolving pedagogy.

GS: What is your most memorable moment in your time at Scotch?

NR: Another high for me would be to share in some moment (perhaps even a moment of unhappiness for the School) where the School corporately bonds or responds. I very much treasure these occasions.

GS: The School has had to confront many challenges over the past 20 years. What have been the major challenges in your view?

NR: Major challenges in my time as Bursar? The digital world. When I arrived, the School basically did not have a computer. Then we only knew last year’s financial position by completing an audit the following April whereas nowadays we know last month’s figures within 24 hours. What has been a bit harder for me is the challenge of contemporisation of student and staff behaviour. For example, if we were to introduce a new timetable today, that introduction process would be very different from 20 years ago. The new model would be shaped and altered and worked up and delivered after a very wide democratic process involving staff and even boys. There’s lots of boy involvement in considering how activities will run. Everywhere boys are able to take more responsibility and run things. That has its successes and failures from time to time, and some people say, ‘Well you don’t put enough emphasis on uniform and litter,’ which were classic, rigid, from-the-top mandates before. These days, we do have more untidiness and more litter but I don’t know that we’ve got a worse student because of it. And that’s a big thing for me to say that because I’m of the ilk of less litter and better uniform management behaviours, but my changed views have come from this process of contemporisation.

GS: The School has clearly changed in a physical sense over the last 20 years. Describe them?

NR: The capital works program over the past 20 years has been breathtaking, another major challenge, and a huge investment for the School’s future. The extent of development may never be repeated if you look at the ratios and the scale of what has occurred.

GS: How would you like to be remembered?

NR: What a privilege it has been to serve and be part of this great School for the last 20 years. I leave confident that the future offers opportunities for all who choose to be involved (students, teachers, parents, Council and old boys) to feel a love for Scotch and occasionally be overwhelmed by its capacity for good.

I’d most prefer to be remembered by some people walking through the campus 20 years on and commenting favourably on something and saying ‘Wasn’t Roberts the Bursar then?’.

GS: Neil, your contribution to the School and those that are part of it will not be forgotten. Your sound sense of judgement, your keen sense of purpose and process, your enthusiastic commitment, your generous warmth and spirit will be missed by the entire Scotch Family. We wish you, Helen and the family all the best for the future and we look forward to your continued involvement as a member of the Scotch Family.

GS: The School has clearly changed in a physical sense over the last 20 years. Describe them?

NR: The capital works program over the past 20 years has been breathtaking, another major challenge, and a huge investment for the School’s future. The extent of development may never be repeated if you look at the ratios and the scale of what has occurred.

GS: How would you like to be remembered?

NR: What a privilege it has been to serve and be part of this great School for the last 20 years. I leave confident that the future offers opportunities for all who choose to be involved (students, teachers, parents, Council and old boys) to feel a love for Scotch and occasionally be overwhelmed by its capacity for good.I’d most prefer to be remembered by some people walking through the campus 20 years on and commenting favourably on something and saying ‘Wasn’t Roberts the Bursar then?’.

GS: Neil, your contribution to the School and those that are part of it will not be forgotten. Your sound sense of judgement, your keen sense of purpose and process, your enthusiastic commitment, your generous warmth and spirit will be missed by the entire Scotch Family. We wish you, Helen and the family all the best for the future and we look forward to your continued involvement as a member of the Scotch Family.

TIM SHEARER

Following news of Neil Roberts’ retirement after 20 years as Bursar of Scotch College, the Principal has announced the appointment to this role of Ross Congleton. An old boy of the School (Class of ’76) Ross brings a depth of experience and knowledge from within the education sector and industry. He leaves Melbourne Girls Grammar School where he has been Business Manager since 1998 and will take up his new role in mid-June. Given his strong qualifications, his commercial experience and his knowledge of Scotch, the School community can look forward with confidence to this important role being filled with distinction by Ross, to whom a warm welcome will certainly be extended.