LEADERSHIP Executive Principal’s Prize-giving Address
It is my absolute pleasure to welcome you all to this special occasion, as we gather in this magnificent setting to celebrate the achievements of our boys. I am deeply humbled and honoured to have the opportunity to speak to you as a community for the first time. First, I would like to acknowledge our Bishop, The Right Reverend Dr Peter Carrell, our Board Chair, Hugh Lindo, the members of the Board, our dedicated staff, the Old Boys among us, and, most importantly, the boys of Christ’s College. I also want to extend a warm acknowledgment to the parents, grandparents, and extended families present today. This is an important occasion for all of you as well. For the parents of our Year 13 students, I imagine that one of the thoughts on your mind this afternoon is just how quickly the years have passed; how it feels like only yesterday that your sons were walking through the gates of Christ’s College as Year 9s. As a parent myself, I know how swiftly time can fly. However, today, let us pause, reflect, and take pride in how far our boys have come. Today, we should all feel immensely proud of them. I would like to begin by thanking each and every one of you for the role you have played in making 2024 such a successful year. We are a community, and our strength lies in our ability to work together to create an environment where our boys can truly thrive. I am grateful for your involvement and support. This afternoon is, of course, a time to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our boys. However, it is also an opportunity to reflect on broader matters that are of great importance to our College community, particularly the challenges facing our education sector today. If we were to take a snapshot of education in our country today, it would be understandable to feel a sense of concern. Our national education system, regrettably, continues to lose its academic rigour, year after year. By nearly every
measure, the quality of education in this country is in decline. The very system we wish to champion as a pillar of excellence is, in fact, falling short of that ideal. National performance in literacy and numeracy now trails international benchmarks, and with each release of global test results, we see further evidence of this troubling downward trend. There are undeniable systemic failures within our education system. If these issues are not addressed, they will prevent many of our students from reaching their full potential. Despite ongoing rhetoric surrounding equity in education, we are witnessing an alarming widening of disparities in educational outcomes. So, what role does Christ’s College play in this landscape? What responsibility do we have as part of the national education system? I believe we have a duty to act as a beacon of hope – a lighthouse in this fog. We must bring our voice and influence to the table. Because, despite the challenges we see nationally, here at Christ’s College we are defying the trend. Our academic achievement and the success of our students in co- curricular pursuits remain among the best in the country. Why? Because
we have a clear and unwavering belief in what constitutes an outstanding education and what excellence in teaching and learning looks like. With an evidence-based approach, we are determined to continue relentlessly pursuing this vision. When we think about how best to deliver on our mission of creating an environment in which each boy can be his best, we know that this must be achieved through intentional, high-quality teaching by specialist teachers. A strong academic foundation requires innovating with the application of student learning in a broad range of contexts in which core subject knowledge is still the foundation. It is a space where critical thinking, debate, and academic discourse are encouraged and nurtured. It is an environment in which our Anglican faith shapes and cultivates young men of virtuous character – young men who are motivated to serve their communities, who are unapologetically aspirational yet grounded in humility. It is an environment in which we foster a positive, competitive school culture in which boys are encouraged to pursue personal excellence in all its forms, to develop their strengths,
4
5
Christ’s College Canterbury
Register 2024 Leadership
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator