Scotch College

Education is the answer

How do Scotch boys respond to the patriae in our coat of arms - ‘for country’?

When, in his Inaugural Address of 20 January 1961, US President John F Kennedy asked his fellow Americans to ponder, not what their country could do for them, but what they could do for their country, he posed a question which, to my mind, defined much of the latter 20th century’s hopes for, and challenges to, democracy and liberty.

This edition of Great Scot explores that part of our motto which places ‘for country’ as a pillar of our school. It is apt to consider how such a statement of intent ripples through our School and beyond. What do we do at Scotch to inculcate a response to President Kennedy’s question, and what evidence is there of boys taking up the challenge as they leave our doors?

Old Scotch Collegians have a proud record, at home and abroad, of serving their country, its values, and our system of democracy. Young men have left Scotch to become servicemen, politicians, mayors, judges, teachers and diplomats. There are Old Boys working to bring relief to those in poverty and danger as doctors, journalists, pilots, scientists, academics, and through the establishment and support of charitable organisations. Others seek to promote growth and prosperity through trade and enterprise, public and private. Closer to home, there are those carrying the family roles which most determine our future. And many over the long history of our School have made the ultimate sacrifice.

What is it that fuels such desires and commitment? It can be tempting to use the word ‘leadership’, but I am wary here, haunted perhaps by Syndrome’s warning in the children’s movie The Incredibles that ‘when everyone is special, no-one will be’.

There are, I think, defining traits of a Scotch education which feed the fire: an appreciation of those things which are truly of importance; the stamina to overcome hurdles and the desire to see things through; an adaptability to complexity and variety which can overcome the maze of self-interested bodies and unpick the most challenging locks; the self-will and confidence to stand above the parapet and overcome criticism and doubt; the knowledge that all is connected.

These characteristics flow through our strong foundations; our desire to find and support interests for our boys; the expectations we maintain in all we do; our belief in nurturing both a strong sense of self and engagement with others; our belief that all is possible. These are qualities which make us very much an Australian School operating in an international setting.

Perhaps our greatest contribution comes by making our boys curious, and providing a stage for them to display their interests and talents. We want to make them curious not just for answers, but for the rich landscape offered by an examined life; curious to find answers for the right questions, those which kick open the heaviest doors, cut to the chase and keep the quest alive, fast and focused. Such questions give rise to passions; passions which can then be shared under the scrutiny of the public gaze. This is when the real magic begins, the sparks fly and the seeds for an engaged, examined life are sown.

It could be through standing in front of judges at a debating final; delivering lines while remaining in character beneath the stage lights; taking guard for the first ball of the day on the Main Oval; designing and running a school-wide puzzle competition; organising an indoor soccer fund raising competition; or playing a concerto at the Foundation Day Concert.

It may through collecting sponsorship and then seeing it through on the 24 Hour Hike or the 40 Hour Famine; writing poetry or a piece of creative writing and seeing it in print; taking up the mathematical or scientific challenge of an Olympiad; rowing in front of the Nagambie faithful; displaying a piece of art or design; making a public commitment to education in Zambia; building homes in Cambodia or making friends among the boys and girls and staff of Tiwi College. Key questions are being explored and challenges taken up that define the colours nailed to our particular mast.

The knack of finding the right questions arises from a climate where ‘big’, complex issues are discussed. If boys are exposed at home and at School to ponder such issues as the tensions in the Middle East or the levers for a successful post resource driven Australian economy, then their minds get used to working at a plane from which the gradient to quadratic functions or the Russian Revolution is gentle – well, gentler.

Near the end of the Term 3 break, I travelled to China to sign exchange agreements with schools in Shanghai and Beijing. I also joined up with our Year 9 and 10 boys and accompanying staff on the China Study Tour for a few days of sightseeing. Standing on the deck of a river cruiser looking out over the amazing city of Shanghai, raised anew these past 20 years, I wondered whether the West could deliver such a common sense of purpose.

Perhaps not surprisingly, for me the answer lies in education, and, more precisely, in the types of schools we create. You can have the duality of individuality, flair and independence of thought and action while forging strong communities. It requires schools which are themselves centres of communities; schools which value creativity and independent thinking; schools which ask questions of their students and encourage them to do likewise throughout life.

We want our boys to take the initiative on whatever stage they choose, whether it is among institutions, businesses, governments, families, or heading off alone in the direction in which they are called. To this end we seek to offer them opportunity to find interests and talents; opportunities to discuss, challenge and learn; opportunities to become good at things and share their talents with flair, integrity and humour.

Education is about questions and mankind’s responses to them; learning about those which have been posed and explored while unearthing new challenges to our understanding and view of the world.

We don’t just want to equip our boys to be leaders we want them to expect, demand and respect good leadership. We may not always get the leaders we deserve, but if we lose interest in the issues of people and their government and stop asking questions, it is, perhaps, likely that we will. GS