Page 2 - 2019 - Altiora Vol 70 Sem 1 B_Neat

2 | FROM THE HEADMASTER
I have enjoyed my first Semester at Blue Mountains
Grammar tremendously. This is a wonderful School
and I am sure I will continue to uncover its treasures
for years to come. In my many conversations focused
on the hopes and dreams of staff, students and parents
I have found Grammar to be an aspirational community
that seeks to provide for the young people we serve
the best possible educational experience. But, what
does that mean?
Since I was a boy I have pushed boundaries. My mother
recounts a time in my first 18 months when I rode my
scooter down a flight of stairs quite on purpose. When
I was older we rode skateboards down the steepest
streets, fearlessly battling the death-wobbles, and
built billy-karts to ride down lofty grass slopes until
they disintegrated. As a young man I applied all that I
had learned in these childhood adventures to downhill
skiing with a free trip on a stretcher as my reward.
Each of these adventures left marks in my body, most
of which have faded, however they did not leave a
single mark in my mind. Perhaps if they had, I might
have made better decisions in the future. However, like
many young men it wasn’t until I was much older that
I learned to consciously measure the risks that I take.
This happened as the result of an incident that left
absolutely no mark on my body but placed someone
else in great danger and thereby left a very deep mark
inside me; one that will never fade and helps me make
better decisions every day.
When I speak of education I refer to the process,
whether at school or otherwise, by which we learn
life’s really important lessons. Social philosopher, BF
Skinner once said that “education is what remains
when all that has been learned has been forgotten.”
So, our education is that which leaves superficial
marks that may fade in time and those deep, life-
changing marks that remain with us forever, shaping
who we become as people and helping us make better
decisions in the future.
Until the 16th Century it was generally accepted
that the Earth was the centre of the solar system.
The political powers of the time would not tolerate
those who considered otherwise. They closed their
minds to other possibilities and inhibited the growth
of human thought for centuries, placing the human
race’s education on hold. True education requires
that we hold many ideas lightly, rather than one idea
tightly. This includes (apparently) ludicrous ideas in
one hand and the ideas we are convinced are true in
the other. Education requires us to consider various
perspectives, appraise and critique them to discover
whether they fit with our worldview, always ready to
change our mind when the evidence demands it.
Bishop William Temple believed that “the most
influential of all educational factors is the conversation
in a child’s home” because this is where young people’s
mental habits are formed, including the internal
monologue that narrates our lives, talks us through
problems, encourages us through our struggles, and
most importantly coaches us as we learn. If we close
our minds to others, our conversation narrows and
stagnates, however if we open our mind to those
around us our conversation thrives. The more inclusive
our conversation the richer it will be and therefore the
richer our education will be.
The 19th Century educationalist John Dewey believed
that “education is not preparation for life; it is life
itself.” The evidence that we are alive is that we grow,
and education is all about growth. For a young person
education is formative, helping them to frame their
understanding of the world. However, thereafter our
education should be transformative, providing us
with the opportunity in the light of all that we learn,
to reframe ourselves; the hopes, dreams and desires
of our hearts; our values, character and attitudes; and
ideally our thinking and our actions. Education should
be ever challenging us, changing us, and equipping us
to make better decisions in the future. This type of rich
and deep education cannot be imposed on us; we must
give ourselves to the process; we must invite truth into
our lives; we must welcome possibility, pursue growth,
and seek wisdom.
Having come to know this School a little I know there
are many here who aspire to type of education I have
described; one where we nurture lives that are open to
those around them, open to God, and open to learning
from every experience; where we explore how we
see the world and how we see ourselves in the world;
where we discover who we are and pursue the highest
and truest expression of ourselves; and where we
equip ourselves to pursue our own authentic purpose.
It is this vision for education that should bring the Blue
Mountains Grammar School community great hope
and optimism because education is about possibilities.
Ian Maynard
Headmaster