St Andrew's College

As I put pen to paper to write this Rector’s comment 63 St Andrew’s students are preparing to head off on four different overseas adventure during the holiday break. 

Their reasons for travelling abroad are varied – two groups are embarking on travel to the less developed countries of Vanuatu and Cambodia, to experience different lifestyles and cultures and give service to these communities. Over the years, St Andrew’s College has developed strong relationships with these communities and, as these relationships continue to develop, so they become more meaningful.

Two other groups are travelling to France and South America with a language learning focus. The commitment to learning a second language is one we encourage in the belief that future opportunities for our students will be enriched by being able to communicate confidently and effectively in a language other than English.

One of our school-wide goals for 2013 is to grow global awareness because we believe that young people today have a responsibility to make the world a better place – to watch out for each other, to seek better living standards, to put an end to extreme poverty, to preserve our planet and to work for peace.

Education is the first stepping stone to a better world and it’s achieved by sharing knowledge and different perspectives. There is no doubt that young people today are growing up in a different world. They are interconnected through instant communications that cover the globe. Borders, barriers and walls have come down, but in spite of this, there remains prejudice, distrust, competition and irreconcilable differences across many global communities.

It is through education we come to better understand each other, to appreciate and celebrate our inevitable differences and to minimise these potential causes of conflict.

In our schools we open up the world to our students. With the introduction of the Internet and social media, they build up learning networks and global relationships; sports and cultural opportunities give them the chance to travel abroad and experience different cultures; and on service trips, they might find the joy of seeing the difference their support and their dollars can make to those in need.

By connecting and finding meaning through their activities in the classroom, and sports and cultural activities, students develop attributes such as grit and determination. They learn to win and lose and realise that honesty, trust, respect and responsibility will stand them in good stead for developing positive relationships in their lives and future communities.

In this issue of Regulus, we celebrate our young people and their qualities, their individual and collective skills and talents. We celebrate the opening of our new boarding houses and we give voice to our hope in the future with our commitment to our new Chapel and future developments for St Andrew’s.

I am fortunate to be spending Term 2 on sabbatical as I connect with people and places special to St Andrew’s, especially in England and Scotland. I will also be promoting international connections in Germany and the United States.

By enhancing these global connections, we demonstrate our commitment to making this world a better place and give our students a perspective that, I have no doubt, will open up a world of possibilities for them.