Great Scot September 2019 Great Scot 157_September 2019_ONLINE | Page 19

Upper School MR TIM RAYNER HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL Connected to and challenged by a changing world Preparing boys for a world outside of Scotch College could be considered daunting, if one were to read the many publications on the topic: ‘12 ways to help students develop 21st century skills’ … ‘13 essential 21st century skills’, and so on; advice readily available on the internet, and free. And yet a little thought on the matter soon brings us back to the basics of what a rounded education should instil in young minds – the following activities being a small selection of what we currently offer at Scotch. The curriculum we offer does provide opportunity for boys to connect to the world in which they live, but also for them to be challenged. One such offering is the VCE Systems Engineering course. Systems Engineering encourages boys to problem-solve and seek solutions to technical problems. The course recognises that making mistakes is part of the learning process, and that final products are often better because of this. Boys are allowed to work independently, and are required to do much preparation before they can begin to produce final designs. They also have to present their final products to their classmates, as well as explain how they were made. The Scotch Enterprise Project is now offered to Years 9 and 10. Creativity, perseverance and application all come to play in a course that asks boys to find a problem and then work to a marketable solution. Curiosity to want to explore and delve into ideas is certainly cultivated at every opportunity. Boys are given the time and space to run with ideas and to learn from mistakes they may have made. This year an odourless toilet was constructed, while automation also eliminated the need to switch on lights when entering the bathroom. The chief engineer of Caroma, a toilet manufacturer, was invited to school to listen to the boys pitch their product to him. Another group of boys designed greywater pipes that could sense the level of soap in flowing waste water to determine if the water was clean enough to be released onto gardens. Needless to say, many skills would have been learnt from each team in designing and constructing these products. Exploring ideas, reality, and existence, VCE philosophers are challenged to think about, and understand, our lives. Philosophy cultivates curiosity and prepares boys to engage with differing world views in an open and discerning manner. Outside of class, our philosophers have attended philosothons and enrichment conferences that have enabled them to grapple with life’s big questions alongside peers from across the country. Recently boys MR NICK MILLER WITH BOYS IN AN IDEAS GENERATION SESSION FOR VISUAL COMMUNICATION AND DESIGN also attended an Ethics Olympiad, with Scotch hosting a senior years and middle years conference. So called soft skills, such as listening and knowing how to respond appropriately to the opinions of others, are gaining more and more currency in today’s society. The opportunity to discuss and debate current topics with boys and girls from other schools and backgrounds, on one level allows boys to sharpen their oratory skills, but also, importantly, on another level, understand others’ perspectives and word views. One such opportunity occurred when five Year 11 boys attended the inaugural McWhirter Foundation Australian Student Conference, which asked its participants, ‘Who should set the limits on free speech?’ This conference, over several days, really inspired our boys and helped prepare them for the future. Model United Nations experiences allow our boys to participate in simulations where they role play delegates from selected countries and compete against student delegates from other countries. Boys learn about international relations, but also have to use debating skills, research and critical thinking to put forward the position of their selected country. Such participation allows boys to learn about the ever-changing political and social dynamics of our world, while encouraging them to empathise with others’ positions. www.scotch.vic.edu.au Great Scot 17