‘Why are you here?’ Such was the way I started my first assembly to the school. And indeed at this time we may well wonder.
It is such a strange and difficult time for everyone but I feel particularly for the young. The cancellation of examinations, the uncertainty consistent only in its changeability, and the deprivation of social interaction for us all as a result of Covid 19 have brought into sharp relief how important examinations and grades have become in our evaluation of an education. It has also highlighted the pressure on our children and the commensurate anxiety placed upon our children which is exacerbated by not having the channels of social support.
But, as with all challenges, this time is also an opportunity, a chance to focus on the process of learning rather than the final outcome. Yeats’ often quoted aphorism that ‘education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire’ reminds us of the importance of potential and passion; that a great education is about igniting a spark of curiosity and learning that burns brightly and sustains the holder with a lifelong flame. I am particularly reminded of that at this time of year when we wake and sleep in the dark. Even more so at the moment where the metaphorical darkness of lockdown and the flame of vaccination seems to be a flickering pinpoint on the horizon with Spring.
Our school, Oxford High, is not just about learning, it is a place where young women learn how to lead, to ignite and learn who they are and who they were meant to be. A place where potential is unleashed ready for greatness. Looking in the archives, the Oxford Times shouts that the ‘School aims to create leaders for public life’ where a course on leadership would ‘increase the participation of women in public life’ and work for a minimum of 300 MPs in the House of Commons. This was in 1989, over 30 years ago, and, yet, there are still only 220 in the House of Commons, woefully short of that midway point. Even in the next few weeks we continue to focus and spotlight female leadership with addresses by Jacinda Ardern and Professor Sarah Gilbert at our Careers event, and MPs including Layla Moran, Anneliese Dodds and Victoria Prentis speaking at our student-led Women in Politics Conference; all women who have opened the doors ready for our pupils to jump through.
Thus an education for our students now at Oxford High cannot just be about knowledge, it must also come with moral courage and curiosity as well as a desire to stand up and speak out, to find our voices in order to speak for those who are disenfranchised or held back by lack of opportunity. I watched with pride as Liz Cheney (Republican) and Nancy Pelosi (Democrat) put aside their tribal loyalties and voted for what they believed was right. Whether you are on their side or not, the ability to be true to yourself, to stand up for what you believe in and take action as a result of those beliefs which improves the world for others is, to my mind, the point of an education for life and the lighting of a candle which burns bright in the darkness.