CHAPLAIN
REV DAVID ASSENDER SCHOOL CHAPLAIN
CHALLENGED , ENCOURAGED AND EDUCATIONALLY NOURISHED UNDER TOM BATTY ’ S LEADERSHIP
Our Principal , Tom Batty ’ s eye is tirelessly on the horizon , on research , and on all those over whom he has charge . His diligence , care and thoughtfulness remind me of what Jesus said in John ’ s Gospel : ‘ I am the good shepherd ; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep …’
Tom has given so much of himself for us at Scotch . He has not just thrown himself into the task as Principal , but in every measure has sought to know and be known . He ’ s not afraid to be himself and accepts you for who you are . However the work of a shepherd is to feed the sheep . We have been challenged , encouraged and educationally nourished by Tom ’ s leadership . We have experienced developmental and personal growth under his watchful eye as our principal shepherd .
One of the things many of us appreciate about Tom ’ s leadership is his aptitude for sifting out the things that matter from the things that don ’ t . His modus operandi is consistent with his message : challenge the things that need challenging , support the things that need supporting , but never forget the intrinsic worth of each human being . He carries foremost what any great principal should ; the preparation and care of emerging generations for a better world .
A good shepherd not only knows his sheep , but also the terrain . Educational researcher Tony Euade writes : ‘ The surrounding culture affects us all , but children particularly strongly . The current culture , based on materialism , trivialisation and celebrity encourages self-interest , individualism and narcissism and has a profound effect in the models of success and aspiration provided . The result is confusion rather than moral decline . So adults should not succumb to moral panic ,
HIS INFLUENCE WILL REMAIN WITH US
but seek to equip children to negotiate a path through this uncertain terrain .’ ( New Perspectives on Young Children ’ s Moral Education , page 180 ). What I admire most about Tom is his considerate nature while picking his way through difficult and complex situations and ideologies .
There are powerful markets of political , social and commercial movements vying for the hearts and minds , for the attention , and for the identity , of our youth . We are not just preparing them for careers in future markets , but for what Charles Taylor calls a ‘ social imaginary ’. With what models will they choose to shape their new world ? What influences and ideas will they draw from ? In turn , what will they raise their children to believe ?
This is the task of education . It is about learning from our past , preparing for the future and figuring out where we might fit between it all . It takes a caring person to lead an educational community through this successfully . A principal needs to have the best interests of his students at heart , because many of the other influences in their life do not .
For all those in the work of shepherding souls , the apostle Peter instructs us to ‘… watch over them – not because you must , but because you are willing , as God wants you to be ; not pursuing dishonest gain , but eager to serve ; not lording it over those entrusted to you , but by being an example to the flock ’. ( 1 Peter 5:2-3 ).
Tom leaves us with a fine example of a principal shepherd . We have thrived under his leadership . No doubt he will take his honed skills as a shepherd to other pastures . His influence will remain with us both personally and through all he has tirelessly worked at in shaping our Scotch community these last 15 years .
8 Great Scot Issue 165 – April 2022