education
the community is , so our responsibility is to make sure people understand who we are as an organisation and what we offer to their children . We want to make sure there is a sense of mission alignment .” If the mission statement aligns with what the parents want for their child ’ s education , then that is the starting point for ongoing dialogue .
“ We realistically look at how we can best serve a child that comes in . As an inclusive organisation we are very intentional about servicing different children ’ s needs . In any school community you are going to have a range of needs , what we want to do is make sure we can provide the resources that will actually allow those students to continue their journey in education . I definitely think that is a strong differentiator for us , it ’ s that sense that you can have kids regardless of what their needs are thrive together in a community .”
“ I believe that the way we thrive as human beings is by collectively putting all of our capacities together and solving complex problems , that starts within schools and by recognising individual talent , experiences , and – regardless of what you bring , everybody brings something to the table . In a classroom context and in a school culture this lifts up the energy level . I think that ’ s the wonderful thing about being part of this community . Because we are a medium size school we are able to combine the sense of opportunities for learning with the sense of intimacy and warmth , which I think is really important for things to happen .”
As a school , Dare says HKA has “ gone through infancy , adolescence and I think we ’ ve got to a point where we are developing into a more mature organisation . The school was originally founded as a primary school , but because of the success of the primary school , people said they wanted it to become a middle school and a secondary school — so those have been natural evolutions . We ’ ve seen three different buildings , and at every level of that the commonality has been that we ’ ve got the best out of it that we possibly can , and we ’ ve never forgotten that it ' s the people that make the difference in these buildings .”
“ We ’ ve gone from being a primary years programme school of the IB to offering the MYP and the Diploma Programme . As the school has grown , it ’ s allowed us to really consider the learning pathways we can offer to students in the way we partner with different organisations . We are the Asia host of ISTA , a performing arts academy which brings students together from around the region to join master classes , workshops and internships . We are also the global host of the Global Citizens Diploma which allows students to be recognised for their contributions to society and making a difference and taking action . This year we are going to be celebrating our 10th graduating class , that ' s very different to the world I joined and points to the growth of the school . “ In October , for the first time the secondary school was bigger then than the primary school , a sign that Hong Kong Academy is a true through-school .”
“ Traditionally we thought about education as being about passing exams , going to university or on to other things . I think people are going to start talking more about contribution to the community , and what value did you add to those communities ? When kids are going out into the workplace , they need to be able to showcase that . Very much part of that culture is , ‘ what are you going to give back ?’ It ’ s not enough just to be successful academically ; it ’ s about a much broader sense of who we are as human beings .”
“ We want kids to not only have the skills to tackle some of the complex battles that the world is dealing with but to have the inclination to do something about it . We are very invested in helping and building self-directedness .” If we think about what ’ s driving people in the workplace now , money is important but it ’ s also about how they feel valued and how they can contribute to whichever organisation they work with , what are the
ethical standards of those organisations , what is their social responsibility – that all has to be an embedded part of the school and valued as an integral part of the learning process . Parents and kids should be asking and demanding more of schools in these areas .”
“ Looking forward to the future , it ’ s nice to know where we are . We don ' t know what normal looks like , which will require us to be adaptable and agile with how we work with kids in the classroom . It ’ s a reminder for us to constantly evolve , retrain and go back to our sense of purpose and why we do things .”
“ The school has always been about a journey , in that journey we have to recognise where we ’ ve come from , where we are today and look forward to the future ,” says Dare . As we pass the original red door from the Stubbs Road campus ( on display as a reminder of the school ' s humble beginnings ) and through the relatively new main door , also painted in a symbolic red , to leave the building , we can ’ t help be impressed by the journey that HKA has had thus far , and be confident that its journey will long continue .
For an insight to the 20th Anniversary Celebrations , visit :
38 www . playtimes . com . hk