Comments for Headmaster's Blog

Comment on The Problem with Risk by Jayney LIbrizzi

Jayney LIbrizzi — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:04:04 +0000

great article thanks love the reminiscing!
I totally agree with you and interestingly I know a girl who has just moved into S1 and her mum has always fought her battles and now she has been off school so often because she can’t cope with high school, she hasn’t learnt many good social skill through her primary years and finds it very difficult to make friends.
As far as risk is concerned we need to be allowed to take risks and make mistakes, if you climb a tree and fall out you’ll hold on tighter next time!!! Surely this is a way to learn our limits and push our boundaries to challenge ourselves, is there not a sense of achievement when we conquer something we didn’t think we could do? I think than we shouldn’t chastise mistakes necessarily but applaud the willingness to try, (hopefully a bit of common sense thrown in!)
As far as computer games are concerned I think our kids are being robbed of real life, I heard a child say the other day how he was really good at wind surfing so I asked when he had done that and I was told it was on the computer,so I said well you’re not really good at wind surfing then you’re good on the computer! He just didn’t get it and we had a bit of a banter back and forth, so I asked ” Where is the sensation of balance, the water, wind in your hair, salt in your eyes.” To which he responded well you know what I mean. No not really. Equally he probably didn’t know what I meant either.
Lets get outside and enjoy life.
I will get off my soap box now!
Jayney
By the way I liked the banana splits too!

Comment on Handwriting – Neither Here Nor There by Alasdair Murray

Alasdair Murray — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:28:50 +0000

As much as I agree with you that handwriting is not that important, I have to take some issue on what you say. As an past employer and an uncle to kids who are into their secondary education, the lack of ability to write in a legible fashion is to me somewhat disconcerting. If a person cannot write, then the ability to communicate in a useful manner is lost. As Clifton Hall itself taught me in my early years, get the 3r’s right and all else is a lot easier.
Yours
Alasdair Murray

Comment on St. Margaret’s Demise a One-off by Samantha Cochrane

Samantha Cochrane — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 09:20:01 +0000

The loss of St Margarets was a huge blow to all the staff, pupils and parents. We still feel it keenly, but, personally I am glad I found Clifton Hall, as it offers the closest ethos to St Margarets. I agree with the need for all staff and pupils to know one another. It is also important for the older ones to recognise and be involved with the younger ones, as this, too, aids everyone’s experience of being part of a family.
Just to clarify, Jennifer McGhee had managed to increase the role at St Margarets in the short 9 months she was in charge. I believe, although this is a figure heard in the ether, amongst the melee that was the last two weeks of term, that she managed to attract nearly thirty new starts, some of whom never got the chance.
St Margarets failed, in my opinion, because of a governing body that refused to ask for assistance, and which refused to look at reducing costs in any real sense. They handed control over to the liquidators before anyone knew about it, thereby negating, from the off, any hope that the “parent consortium” had to save the school as a whole. All was lost before we even had a chance to raise the money.
If the governors had asked the parent body for assistance, all would have been well. The sheer overwhelming amount of support, offers of assistance; both fiancial and expertise and the time given over to trying to save the school would have seen us through, alas, red tape stopped all that. Once in KPMG hands, it no longer belonged to us.
The lesson learned from all of this for the St Margarets parents is always to be vigilant, take nothing for granted and KEEP OPEN the lines of communication with your school. Open and honest policy is the only way forward. Honesty from all.
Thanks. x

Comment on Education must be about more than achieving the right grades by Studybuds

Studybuds — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:16:00 +0000

You can’t teach people to be well rounded caring individuals – it’s more about nurturing and kindness by example.

Comment on University Entry Requirements by Donald Gardner

Donald Gardner — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 09:08:15 +0000

I am not convinced about the argument advanced here. My belief is that someone undertaking a university degree course should have a level of competence in the basics. Engineering (eg Motorsport Technology) is maths based but an equally essential skill is the ability to write clear and concise reports hence the need for demonstrated competence in English. Similarly for a degree level in fashion design, the ability to translate a 3 dimensional complex surface (ie clothes on a human body) on to 2 dimensional patterns requires mathematical ability beyond basic arithmetic.

I would argue that the problem here is the blurring of the boundary between craft/vocational levels (mechanic/tailor), which require one level of literacy and numeracy and the professional level (engineer/designer) which would require a higher level. Perhaps the apparent move to a “degree for everything” does not serve us well.

I’m certainly not in favour of any kind of rigid hierarchy with no way of moving between them, but certainly there should be a clear distinction of what is required at each level both in terms of entry and achievement.

Comment on About by Rod Grant

Rod Grant — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:09:03 +0000

TEN QUESTIONS: Published, Evening News, 20 November, 2008

1 What is your earliest memory of Edinburgh?

My first visit was to Murrayfield as a young schoolboy of about ten years of age to watch Scotland play England.

2 What are your memories of school?

I attended Merchiston Castle. I had a ball in what was a fairly strict regime. However, before Health and Safety kicked in we had tremendous freedom also. As a headmaster, I would have a heart attack if I allowed kids to do what we were allowed to do back then.

3 Where is your favourite place in Edinburgh and why?

Has to be Princes Street Gardens in the summer. Busy, energised, full of folk and in a setting that’s quite remarkable. My nephew, from Spain, summed it up on a visit when he was quite young. He said that it was like being in the middle of a fairytale.

4 What are the best things about Edinburgh?

Like all major cities, the best thing about Edinburgh is its cosmopolitan nature.

5 What would you change about the city?

Well, I know it’s not very PC in this day of green environmentalism, but there is a fundamental problem in getting in to the city by car. Nowhere to park, difficult to negotiate the almost unfathomable one-way system and restricted access all over the place. Far too many traffic wardens for my liking!

6 Describe a perfect Edinburgh day/night out?

I think it would be easier to say that if you can’t have a perfect day out in Edinburgh, then you are unable to have a perfect day out anywhere.

7 Which sports interest you?

All of them, with the possible exceptions of synchronised swimming and elephant polo.

8 What was your most embarrassing moment?

Mistaking someone for my best friend in a bar in Edinburgh. I approached this man in a suit, knocked the back of his knee with my foot to give him a fright but the guy completely buckled, dropped his pint, smashed his glass and soaked his trousers. He turned to me and I garbled some pathetic explanation and his response was to simply look at me as you might a certified lunatic.

9 What is your greatest achievement?

Marrying the girl of my dreams and having a young son who takes my breath away.

10 Sum up Edinburgh in three words.

Cosmopolitan, vibrant, young