Great Scot September 2019 Great Scot 157_September 2019_ONLINE | Page 3

Editorial
‘Where does happiness lie? What is
the best life?’ Aristotle ponders these
abiding questions in his Nicomachean
Ethics – a work which has profoundly
influenced Western thinking. His questions
on the balance between intellect and
action have been in the foreground during
scholarly debate on diverse (and often
opposing) educational priorities, from the
ancient Greek world view to the present.
Contemporary educational priorities,
among others, require schools to equip
students with digital and technological
competencies, to be cognisant of global
outreach opportunities, to develop strong
interpersonal skills, to be inclusive and
sensitive to the cultural values of different
groups, and to be mindful of gender
equality.
Reassuring for Great Scot readers is an
awareness that the School has embedded
many of these values in its educational
goals. The question posed by the theme
of this edition is whether there is a place for pursuit of intellect in a world that
appears focused on measurable outcomes
equating with success in discrete fields
of expertise. The answer, for the direction
of our School, is a resounding ‘yes’. Rev
Doug Campbell notes that ‘intellect is not
trivialised’; Principal Mr Tom Batty proposes
the translation of ‘intellectual thought to
purpose’, and Head of Junior School Mr Jon
Abbott acknowledges the paradigm shift
from an ‘old’ form of education that focused
on imparting knowledge, to one that offers
students self-direction in the passions they
choose to pursue.
The flame of intellectual pursuit burns
brightly, as is evident when Scotch boys’
quest for ideas directs them to opportunities
ranging from debating, to Enterprise
Projects, language extension, international
Olympiads, and studies of literature,
philosophy and Latin. However, a holistic
approach to boys’ development intersects
nourishment of the mind with nourishment
of skills in sport, music, drama, art and
design.
In reviewing the content of this edition,
it is particularly heartening to note the
number of occasions boys in their articles
speak of ‘life-changing’ or ‘once in a lifetime’
experiences, while exhorting other boys to
take on the challenges of trying something
new and different: be it exposure to a
published writer, taking a lead role in drama,
venturing on a simulated trip to Mars, or
boarders’ involvement in projects to benefit
farming communities.
Scotch values embrace more than
individual achievement, and evidence of desire to benefit the school and wider
community is apparent in the 24-Hour
Fundraising Day on 8 August, during which
Scotch successfully endowed in perpetuity
a scholarship in the name of General Sir
John Monash. That the target of $750,000
was reached and exceeded quite early in
the day, and the final total of $1,319,000,
was testimony to the School commmunity’s
determination to honour our greatest Old
Boy appropriately, and enable boys who
may not otherwise have the opportunity
to attend Scotch to enjoy an excellent
education.
The School fervently hopes that
these scholarship boys will be inspired
by Monash’s determination to solve the
challenges he faced and improve the lives
of the people he served.
The Old Scotch Collegians’ Association
is also focused on service, and is
conscious of its important role in promoting
engagement among Old Boys and the wider
Scotch Family. As OSCA President James
Douglas (’84) points out in this edition, the
association’s engagement strategy is a
simple one – to ‘promote the advancement
and welfare of Scotch College and its
Old Boys’.
As James Douglas says, service to
others, as exemplified by Sir John Monash
in all that he did, in times of war and in times
of peace, is a common thread that runs
through OSCA’s mission and the
three pillars of its strategy – providing
reasons to connect, ways to connect,
and opportunities to give back.
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SCIENCE WEEK
A week of discovery for boys and staff BUILDING AND SCHOLARSHIP
PROGRAMS The Scotch Family’s
generosity to the fore OSCA ANNUAL DINNER
Nostalgia, great fun and warm fellowship
DURGA KAMTE
EDITOR GREAT SCOT
www.scotch.vic.edu.au Great Scot
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