GROWTH OF SCOTCH BOYS
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BELONG IN A SCHOOL ?
170 YEARS OF BELONGING AT SCOTCH COLLEGE
Through 170 years of educating boys , Scotch College has exercised its enormous potential for leading social comment on issues affecting boys and boys ’ education . The premise of our Christian faith and the foundational teaching and learning principle : The inherent dignity and value of each individual remains central to our work with the boys .
Maximising the inherent strengths of a boy ’ s schooling experience has always been a rigorous pursuit . Through our academic care , pastoral care and targeted programs , opportunities have been created to build a school which sits at the heart of its community ; a place of belonging .
What , then , does it mean to belong in a school ? What is the difference between just ‘ fitting in ’ and feeling as if you truly belong and you can be yourself ? A sense of belonging is important for all , but for boys , never has the need to belong been so crucial .
The world in which Scotch exists today is vastly different to that of 170 years ago . Today , our boys face pressures from many angles – in particular social media and popular culture . Finding their place in this world can be challenging , and at Scotch we strive to create a place where boys can explore who they are without the distraction of such pressures .
In addition to these pressures , our boys are confronted by the call to dismantle many of the social constructs that society has come to accept as the norm . In this regard , it is important to remember that a boy ’ s school journey is not just about perfect scores , winning every race or playing the purest music , but also ( and perhaps more importantly ) it is about walking with our boys as they enter adulthood as world citizens who are committed to generosity , justice , equity and compassion .
If we are to ‘ grow ’ boys in our School who aspire to these qualities , then it is imperative that we challenge all in our community to have ‘ uncomfortable conversations ’ in comfortable spaces about differences , social inequity and building the skills and habits of empathy . While this task may seem daunting , when we as a school community of students , staff and parents work together , we can nurture our boys to find the confidence to truly be themselves , and so to truly belong .
Recent student-led initiatives give voice to this notion of truly belonging . The Gay Straight Alliance is one such initiative that provides a place for boys to find supportive spaces to foster belonging . An article on the opposite page examines the value of such programs . Similarly , Junior School staff have started conversations about gender . In the
Senior School , the Middle School team has developed a Growth of Scotch Boys Working Party to build on our pastoral care program , and to support staff in delivering programs that build the skills boys need to understand themselves , others and the world around them .
As 2021 draws to a close , it is essential to remind ourselves of the significance of the past 170 years , in which each generation of Scotch students has benefited from the foresight of those who have gone before them . Indeed , our School was founded on the hope that ‘ its future generations [ will be ] better than the present ’, and as such , requires the community to continue to reflect on what it means to belong at Scotch College .
To this end , the legacy of our founder James Forbes continues to resonate today , ensuring that each boy finds his place at Scotch , and through this sense of belonging has the confidence to become the man he truly wants to be , equipped to make a difference in the world beyond the Monash Gates .
TREMAINE PAVLOVSKI – COORDINATOR , GROWTH OF SCOTCH BOYS , JUNIOR SCHOOL
MELANIE PIVA – COORDINATOR , GROWTH OF SCOTCH BOYS , SENIOR SCHOOL
24 Great Scot Issue 164 – December 2021