Headmaster's Address
What a year . . . 2020 was certainly one for the history books and I am sure that 2021 will be equally a fascinating year.
During a similarly turbulent period in 1966, Robert Kennedy spoke in Cape Town, South Africa, about the dynamism of times like these. In his speech, he remarked: “There is a Chinese curse which says: ‘May he live in interesting times.’ Like it or not we live in interesting times. They are times of danger and uncertainty; but they are also more open to the creative energy of men than any other time in history.”
Apart from the jarringly gendered language, it seems that Kennedy described 2020 to a tee. COVID-19, has and will impact the world in profound ways for many years to come and in this shock to the system lies opportunity for change.
Deloitte, one of the Big Four accounting organizations and the largest professional services network in the world mentions in its website:
“Historically, in stable times, organizations derived competitive advantage through progressive attempts to be more standardized, efficient and better at doing what ‘they had been doing’ for a long time. In unpredictable times, organizational survival requires the understanding that organizations exist within a broader external ecosystem, united by a specific, customer-centric purpose that is constantly evolving to remain relevant.
When change is predictable, stable organizational hierarchies can support order, clear decision-making, and functional silos to ensure maximum efficiency. However, in an era of exponential change, traditional organization models cannot keep up.
In keeping with the current scenario that we face as a College, on Saturday, 23 January, I received communication from ISASA regarding the Gazetted Dates for Reopening of Independent and Public Schools.
The Memorandum stipulated the following:
“The Minister of Basic Education issued, in terms of the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002, Amended Directions for the reopening of independent and public schools for the 2021 academic year.
The Amended Directions state that independent schools must close and may only reopen for learners after a two-week period from the date of the pronouncement of the Department of Basic Education, which was 15 January 2021.
This effectively means that independent schools cannot reopen for learners before Saturday, 30 January 2021. The Amended Directions further stipulate that officials may access school premises during the period of closure if required to do so for purposes of preparation in anticipation of the reopening of schools.
We take this to mean that independent school staff may access school premises for that purpose during the period of closure. Unlike in the case of public schools, specific dates are not specified when independent school staff may return to school”.
A copy of the Amended Directions is available for download from the ISASA website at: https://www.isasa.org/memo/basic-education-regulations-20210122.pdf
I have committed to communicate as effectively as possible and I remind you that during my welcome address on Monday, 11 January 2021, I shared the story of The Choluteca Bridge to encourage you to prepare for another year of “Build to Adapt” as we tackle the scourge of COVID-19.
St Peter’s College has endured many challenges since its foundation twenty-three years ago, however, never to the extent to those that we experienced in 2020 and will continue to experience in 2021. Whilst I do not want to dwell too much upon the unprecedented challenges of recent months, I do want to share with you my admiration for the courage and resilience that you, our College community have demonstrated as you continue to inspire each other to live with hope and face the future in the sure knowledge that we will emerge from this in a stronger position than ever before. We have not simply survived; we have grown together and thrived together during these most testing of times.
I am proud, grateful and humbled by you.
“In Futurum Fortiter”