WARDEN ’ S REPORT aptitude for navigating a world of disorder and uncertainty . Perhaps Tolstoy might be more help ? Or , as Einstein said : “ Don ’ t listen to the person who has the answers , listen to the person who has the questions ”.
Div remains the core means to delivering this mindset , particularly in VI th Book . The Governing Body is clear that we must ensure that Div retains its current place in the timetable and is taught to the highest standard ( certainly the case in my recent lesson observations ). But there is a wider question about the humanities , and how we ensure the breadth of academic offering which is rightly expected ( and indeed , in my view , is right ). We are affected , in particular , by the wider decline across the UK in the popularity of modern foreign languages . Questions about how we develop the curriculum in the longer term must await the arrival of Elizabeth Stone in September . We are lucky to have found such a talented successor to Tim Hands — one who combines a strong understanding of Win Coll , from her time teaching here , with the fresh thinking provided by her eight years as Principal of Queenwood School in Sydney . She is becoming Headmaster at an exciting time , but also one replete with challenges .
I will end with one challenge which is high on the Governing Body agenda : the threat to independent education posed by a possible Labour Government . Political threats of this sort are nothing new . But opinion polls suggest a Labour Government is the likeliest outcome of the next General Election and senior figures in the party have been clear about their desire to remove what they see as the privileges enjoyed by independent schools .
In addition to a wider desire to prevent independent schools being charities , the Labour Party ’ s proposals contain two very specific ideas : to make independent education subject to VAT and to apply business rates to such schools . Neither will bring Winchester to its knees . But both will increase our costs ( VAT significantly if applied at 20 %); make it more difficult for aspirational parents to choose an independent education ; and weaken the whole ecosystem on which Winchester depends . In response , the sector needs to challenge robustly the idea of handicapping a remarkably successful part of British life — particularly on the basis of the assumption that a 20 % increase in the fees charged by independent schools will have no effect on demand . This assumption suggests the Prime Minister may need to reinforce the teaching of economics ; not just maths .
DEVELOPING MINDS WHICH ARE INQUISITIVE AND CHALLENGE ORTHODOXY IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT AND RELEVANT TODAY THAN IT WAS 20 OR 30 YEARS AGO .
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