gordonstoun — an adventure into education DON WALTON “ I will call the three views of education the Ionian They can thereby develop resilience, stamina and view, the Spartan view, the Platonic view ... Those powers of concentration — all of which help them who hold the first view believe that the individual towards vital health. The progress achieved often ought to be nurtured and humoured regardless of came as a surprise to the boy or girl in training: the the interests of the community. According to experience of defeating their own defeatism remain­ the second view, the individual may and should be ed a strengthening memory. The second contribu­ neglected for the benefit of the state .. The third, tion of Salem deserves the name of a discovery: the Platonic view, is that any nation is a slovenly namely that the so-called deformity of puberty guardian of its own interests if it does not do all it should not be regarded as a decree of fate. You can to make the individual citizen discover his own can avoid those loutish years, that dim and irritable powers: and further, that the individual becomes a period when even movements become sluggish and cripple from his or her own point of view if he is awkward, you can preserve a child’s strength, the not qualified by education to serve the community.” undefeatable spirit, the joy of movement, the power of compassion, the eager curiosity — all those Which of these aims are we trying to realise treasures of childhood, on one condition: that you in South Africa? The introduction of the new kindle on the threshold of puberty and subsequently differentiated system is surely designed to sustain the so-called non-poisonous passions — enable each pupil to “discover his own the zest for building, the craving for adventure, the joy of exploration, the love of music, painting or powers’’, certainly in the classroom situation writing, the devotion to a skill demanding patience where a much wider field of study is now pos­ and care. You can in fact satisfy the primitive long­ sible than has been possible previously. So ing for mastery, call it the begetting of creative far, however, mention has been made only instinct if you like, and thereby forestall the sexual impulses from monopolising an adolescent’s emo­ of the classroom situation and the phrase tional life and from seeking insidious satisfaction.” “field of study” seems to characterise the whole system. Surely education relates to Any boarding school headmaster knows that more than the classroom situation? Surely much “trouble” can be avoided if pupils are education should also be related to the “occupied” for most of their day. There leisure life of a pupil? Surely education is should not be time to seek, never mind concerned, not only with a citizen working achieve, “the insidious satisfactions of the in the state, but also with his living, and youth” , whatever they be. enjoying life, in the state? Sociological sur­ veys make the point that the man of future BUT. years is going to have increasing leisure hours at his disposal. Are we showing future Do we kindle and sustain the “zest for build­ citizens how to occupy those leisure hours so ing, the craving for adventure and the joy as to give themselves, and others, delight in of exploration”? Can not most of the ills of being alive? the “permissive” society be attributed to a “craving for adventure”? In cities today the Dr. Hahn’s Educational Programme only avenues of adventure and exploration seem to be those of drink, drugs and sex. The man who advocated the Platonic view It must be our duty as educationists to outlined above was Dr. Kurt Hahn. He be­ show that opportunities exist for exploration, lieved that education is far more than occu­ adventure and challenge in other direc­ pying youth for a few hours a day inside the tions. four walls of a classroom. He summed up his first major experiment in Hahn founds Gordonstoun education at Salem in Germany as follows: Hahn saw the problems of youth as “grave ‘On the credit side we had established beyond but not incurable” as long ago as 1920. The doubt that through continuity of purposeful athletic training every normal boy and girl can be brought same problems seem to be with us today and to attain the maximum standards within their reach. although Hahns’ answers to these problems 1973/74 29 SYMPOSIUM have proved themselves in practice, very He noted that the local fishing lads, full of few educators know about them. the zest for life in childhood, degenerated Dr. Hahn is perhaps best known for his found­ either to lawlessness or to listlessness during ing of Gordonstoun School in 1934 and for adolescence. He was also concerned about starting the Outward Bound movement. The the general fitness of the youth of the coun­ Duke of Edinburgh Award and the Atlantic try and so, together with the local high College also operate on Hahn guidelines. school, Elgin Academy, he instituted the Mo­ ray Badge. To qualify for the Badge a boy It was his distress as he watched decay sur­ had to complete certain tests in athletics, round youth: “the decay of adventure and make an expedition, perform some life-saving enterprise, of skill and care, and of com­ exercise and to observe full training condi­ passion”, that led him to establish Salem, tions. No smoking or drinking were allowed. under the patronage of Prince Max of Baden. This programme received more and more sup­ It was because he saw the need to “ educate port as the country realised how unprepared young people in independence of judgement it was for the impending war. and in strength of purpose when following an unfashionable cause, to teach the pro­ Outward bound tection of the weak, the recognition of the rights of the less fortunate, and the worth During the war years Gordonstoun moved to of a single human life” that he was at odds Wales and it was there that Hahn had another with the rising Nazi movement in Germany opportunity to spread his philosophies. A during the thirties. Eventually, this incompat- summer course at Gordonstoun for Merchant ability led him to leave his own country for Navy Cadets, some working boys and young England where his educational ideas had soldiers showed how unfit and unprepared long been carefully watched and admired. these boys were for the task that lay ahead Gordonstoun, founded with the help of Eng­ of them. They lacked initiative, smoked heavi­ lish and Scottish friends, continued, and still ly and some did not even like being outside does today, the original ideals developed at at night. To provide these boys with the Salem. Gordonstoun ideas of independence as well as physical and moral stamina, the first out­ The Gordonstoun regimen ward bound school was started at Aberdovey, Boys at Gordonstoun had to do athletic train­ in Wales. Financial backing was provided by ing, follow their “grande passion” on a Satur­ Laurence Holt, of Holt shipping lines, who day morning, usually some sort of project felt that many lives were unnecessarily lost that they were interested in, find their chal­ at sea because people did not know how to lenge and adventure either in the nearby meet an emergency. Courses lasted for four Cairngorm Mountains or at sea, and be of weeks and boys from all walks of life attend­ some service to the community. Within a ed. The course material was organised around very few years Gordonstoun had its own fire the Moray Badge idea with a project, seaman­ brigade, and the coast guards assisted the ship and teamwork being included. local professional service. One of Hahn’s Today there are 24 Outward Bound schools convictions was that in order to develop in all over the world and the movement con­ young men the basic human qualities, they tinues to spread. Courses vary from school had to be provided with the moral equivalent to school but the basic ideas remain the of war. He meant that the warlike instincts same. The latest courses, “ City Challenges” , should be channelled into useful and peace­ collect groups of young men, from widely ful means. “More than the equivalent has different backgrounds, to spend three weeks been found”, he wrote. “The passion of providing different kinds of community ser­ rescue releases even higher dynamics than vices for city authorities. One group went to war” . Belfast and Londonderry (both strife-torn Education, war and peace towns) and with local youth organisations It was the impeding war that led Hahn to discussed ways and means of improving find wider support for the Gordonstoun ideas. community relations. SYMPOSIUM 30 1973/74 To bridge international divisions and to give to “ how Hahn would have done it” still pro­ expression to Hahn’s idea of internationalism, voke many bitter arguments. The school still the Atlantic College was founded in 1962. tries to prevent youth from falling into the Most of the boys are on scholarship to en­ “ decline” traps: sure that they come from the widest possible — The decline of initiative as a result of the backgrounds and great store is set on the widespread disease of spectatoritis. rescue services. Internationalism is achieved — The decline of skill and care as a result by mixing nationalities in the dormitories, by of the weakening tradition of craftsman­ history lessons and by the teamwork required ship. for the rescue services. — The decline of concern about one’s Hahn’s ideas and philosophies have spread neighbour as a result of the unseemly far and wide, but what happens at Gordons- haste with which daily life is conduct­ toun today? Is the school that demonstrated ed.