PRINCIPAL
ABOVE : YEAR 8 BOYS IN DISCUSSION DURING CLASS .
manipulation , whose freedom consists in impulse gratification , and is thus illusory .
He contrasts this with a ‘ thick ’ vision of the human being , one that pursues a philosophy of freedom that is linked to truth and to a higher purpose , one of love and responsibility . His thick vision of human beings is one where each person is embedded in communities orientated towards truth , beauty , and goodness .
Now coming back to the purpose of schooling , have we lost this bigger picture of human flourishing , or this thick vision of the human being ? Is there a relationship between this ‘ thin ’ vision of the human being , and the claims I referenced earlier , noting the increase in standardisation , prevalence of tests scores , ‘ means to an end ’ values , and our society ’ s seemingly insatiable focus on the ATAR , which as we all know expires on use ?
To what extent has this ‘ thin ’ vision infiltrated our overarching narrative at Scotch ? To what extent has today ’ s highly secularised , ‘ thin ’ vision of humans as essentially ‘ brains on a stick ’ influenced our approach to teaching and learning ? To what extent do we offer a fully human experience for all our boys ?
Do we possess a thick vision for human beings ? How are the ideals of beauty , goodness and truth reflected in the day-to-day life of the Scotch Family ? How do we provide a thick vision for human
flourishing ? A vision that values beauty , goodness and truth and positions our students to live a good life , one full of purpose and positive relationships , one that recognises freedom within the context of responsibility , truth and love .
How can a Scotch education develop human beings who possess an understanding of freedom as something to be used ‘ for ’ doing good , for living purposefully within the context of relationships and truth ?
Last year an Old Boy gave me a book on the life of Dr Littlejohn , Scotch ’ s third Principal . What a scholar and wonderful Christian man . In Littlejohn ’ s writing he constantly refers to the College colours of Cardinal , Gold and Blue . In one of Littlejohn ’ s contributions , he notes , ‘ Cardinal reflects beauty , purity and richness of colour reflecting the depth and beauty of high ideals ; gold , a symbol of goodness surviving fire and water , aye , and even the very acid test of life ; and blue , truth in everything , fidelity to all , the old British “ true blue ”. There you have the standards by which your school would have you live …’ In our heritage , we have the perfect foundation to reclaim or advance a ‘ thick ’ vision of humanity for our boys . What if beauty , goodness , and truth provided an overarching vision for the purpose of learning at Scotch ? Could our focus on beauty , goodness and truth support our boys to embrace learning as something to be cherished , where deep knowledge is pursued for its beauty , goodness , and truth ? Can beauty , goodness , and truth offer an expanded purpose for our boys and assist them to find meaning ; and in so doing , better support their mental health ?
As we listen to American politics of late , the likelihood of a Trump Presidency is seemingly increasing . We know Trump heralded the expression ‘ alternative facts ’ and that we now live in the ‘ post truth ’ age . I believe the pursuit of truth and the understanding of this concept is perhaps more important than at any time in our history . When you throw in the rising influence of artificial intelligence , where anyone can generate fake lifelike video recordings of anything , discerning truth I believe must become one of our greatest areas of focus .
We know we discern truth by possessing deep knowledge . Here knowledge is not pursued merely to pass a test . Knowledge is not valued solely for its utilitarian use to get an ATAR . When truth is your overarching goal , knowledge is valued for its contribution to discerning truth .
I want Scotch boys to pursue truth , to love truth . Yes , this has a profound influence on their character , as
8 Great Scot Issue 171 – Edition 1 2024