The Rev.
Dr John Barrett recently arrived to take up the position of
Principal, ACS (International). He shares his thoughts on the
challenges ahead.
The
classic school tale "Goodbye Mr Chips" was written by James Hilton,
largely based upon his schooldays at The Leys School in Cambridge,
UK. The Mr Chips character was drawn from his Classics master,
William Balgarnie. Hilton later wrote about Balgarnie: "Not only did
he not treat me as though I were a typical (public) schoolboy; he
understood a greater truth – no such animal exists."
As a
Christian, I, too, believe that there is no such thing as a typical
schoolboy or girl. We are all individuals, created by God; he loves
us and has a special plan for each of us.
The
challenge for a school is to recognise each student’s God-given
individuality, nurture it and encourage it to develop.
But we are
not simply individuals. God has placed us in community – we are born
into a family, we grow up in a local community, we may work in a
larger community. But increasingly we are being brought to realise
that we live in a global community. Indeed that realisation is
essential if we are to work together for justice and peace for all
God’s children.
ACS
(International) – the new member of the ACS family, which opens its
doors in January 2005 – is established on these two principles. It
is an international community of students, boys and girls, whose
learning about God’s world will be enriched by sharing insights from
different cultures, religions and traditions, within an ethos, which
is consciously Christian. Students will follow an international
curriculum – the IGCSE and (in two years time) the International
Baccalaureate, and also work for the Duke of Edinburgh’s
International Award.
But at ACS
(International) strenuous efforts will be made to treat each student
as an individual, with particular educational needs. Classes will be
small (about 25); there will be a broad flexible curriculum; each
student will have a personal tutor and individuals will be
encouraged to have a personal faith.
John
Barrett
Principal
ACS
(International)