Investing in the Future of Boarding
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Vol 08 | Quarterly Magazine Issue 02 | June 2015 Investing in the Future of Boarding CONTENTS How Many Staff are Needed? 02 How Many Staff are Needed? 04 History Still Resonates A Centry Later 06 To Listen & To Hear 08 MLC Perth 10 The Perth College On Board Programme AUTHOR 14 3 Misconceptions Adults Have We have been requested to make Andrew Knott When Communicating With Young some comments in relation to the is- Special Counsel sue, understandably of concern to People Tresscox Lawyers 16 Investing In The Future of Boarding both decision-making staff and imple- 19 AIEF Compendium Shares menting staff, of how many staff need Indigenous Education Best Practice to be on duty in different situations. with Boarding Schools Nationwide Unfortunately, this question, as with 22 Letz Live: Interview Questions the meaning in particular circumstanc- 25 The Art (and Science) of es of ‘what is reasonable’, cannot be Apologising answered with great precision, but 27 2015 E.J Connellan Award there are a number of things we can 28 Olivia Has Left The Building say which may be of assistance. 30 St Philip’s College 50th Anniversary 31 From Kings To Cannakale First, in applying the general duty of 32 Your Boarding Career “It is care it is important to remember that 34 The Day Tropical Cyclone Visited St it is about taking the steps that are Ursula’s College Yeppoon important to reasonable to minimise the risk of fore- 36 Surviving The Next Step seeable injury. In determining what is 40 A Word from the Chairman remember appropriate, one looks at a vast range of issues such as the details of the situation, risk factors, the age, ma- ON THE COVER that it is New Girls Boarding Recreation Centre, turity, and behaviour patterns of the Kinross Wolaroi School, Orange, NSW about taking students in question, the resources that are available, and balancing the CONTACT US the steps that two considerations of risk minimisa- Australian Boarding Schools tion and giving students, particularly Association Ltd. as they become older, the opportunity Postal: PO Box 5569, Brendale DC, are reasonable to to accept responsibility for themselves Qld, 4500 (in a manner consistent with the duty Office: Unit 6, 3 Hinkler Court, minimise the risk of care being implemented). From Brendale, Qld, 4500 the supervisor’s perspective, there is P + 61 7 3205 4940 of fore-seeable a need to consider what resources F + 61 7 3205 6567 should be made available. This can E [email protected] injury.” www.boarding.org.au be a difficult decision to make in the context of the operation of a boarding EDITOR house, but if the supervising decision- Richard Stokes, Executive Director, maker feels that the resources are in- Australian Boarding Schools Association adequate, there will clearly be a duty to alert the management to whom the GRAPHIC DESIGN supervisor reports so that the matter Infusion Promotions can be reviewed. Similarly, staff at the www.infusionpromotions.com.au ‘pointy end’ who are implementing the relevant supervision should raise with PRINTING Print Works their supervisor or with management www.printworks.net.au concerns that they have. The provi- sion of information, when there may be unacceptable risks, is an obvious duty which can be discharged with minimum time and effort but may have significant impact. 2 How Many Staff are Needed? Secondly, consultation and collegiate larly, the draft boarding standard (ac- decision-making can produce (and cessible on the ABSA website) has rel- demonstrate) careful, informed out- evant principles, such as 3.4(e) relating comes. to the need for ‘an accredited and ca- pable person available at all times who Thirdly, there are a number of contexts can administer and manage’ certain in which there may be specific provi- medical issues. sions. For example, there may be provisions in relation to transport re- Finally, (and somewhat sadly), num- garding maximum number of persons bers are sometimes recommended by who can be in a vehicle (which goes Coroners in inquests resulting out of to staff/student ratio as, if a second tragic situations, such as drownings in vehicle is needed, for that reason then pools or on excursions. obviously a second staff member is needed to be in the second vehicle). It is important in such situations to err Workplace health and safety legisla- on the side of caution and to be part tion, particularly codes of practice, of ‘the mainstream’. Conversations may have some specific requirements with peers in other boarding schools which are imposed by law. That is a or at conferences of boarding school matter which will vary across jurisdic- staff and discussion within the school tions. Fire and emergency laws may boarding house are all of assistance in be relevant. Sporting association pro- developing approaches which will be tocols may assist. supportable in the event of criticism in that the person who has made a de- In many States and Territories, there cision about numbers can show that already exist mandated standards. they have considered the issues, and These should be examined, not only to consulted appropriately, and that their ascertain whether numbers are includ- general approach is consistent with ed, but as to whether the mandated that of the boarding school community standards are relevant to assessing generally. what staff ratio is appropriate. Simi- ARE YOU ON BOARD? AUGUST 2015 Register online at: http://www.boarding.org.au/2025/conferences/2015-leaders-symposium/ 3 History Still Resonates A Century Later AUTHOR Eight boarders were amongst twenty Prince stars! The hotly contested game of basketball Ron Pippett Alfred College students and three Boarding was followed by a charming international ex- Boarding House Senior - Academic Support staff chaperones who just returned from an change of chocolates and stickers (and Face- Prince Alfred College, SA epic journey that encompassed a fascinating book profiles). Meanwhile staff discussed exploration of battlefields, monuments, inter- contemporary pedagogical matters drawing pretation centres and historic landmarks from comparisons between Australian and Turkish Turkey to France and Belgium. The 2015 PAC curricula. The concept of Boarding schools, Battlefield History tour was a great success whilst a little alien to Turks, does exist here with boys bringing back many memories, through special Science based schools souvenirs and colourful tales to share with where gifted students are invited from all over families and friends. Of course the experience Turkey to live on campus in special, well re- was particularly poignant for our country stu- sourced, Science Academies. dents who often have close links to the origi- nal ANZACs with many relishing the oppor- The Gallipoli leg of the tour was profound! tunity to travel overseas and investigate their From our first investigation of the beaches nation’s history in this way. along ANZAC Cove, the boys were capti- vated as they contemplated exactly what had Our first port of call was the ancient city of happened here 100 years ago. Certainly look- Istanbul, a bustling, bewildering hub catering ing up from the rocky beach to ‘the Sphinx’ to 17 million inhabitants. Our Turkish guide and Shrapnel gully made for some sombre touched on the vast history associated with and thought provoking reflection. this region dating back to the Bronze-age Hit- tites and Assyrians, Alexander the Great, the We started our ANZAC tributes here with Romans through the Byzantine era followed boarder, Brady Miell recounting the incred- by the Ottoman Empire to the present. De- ible story of his two forbears – one his Great spite this impressive history, quite palpable to Grandfather and the other his Great-Great the group through ancient ruins on streets, Grandfather - who may not have known each roads built through Roman aqueducts and other but were buried next to each other at the awe inspiring Blue Mosque, the Turks ac- Ari Burnu! A generation later, their descen- tually see the Gallipoli battle as a pivotal part dants would inter-marry and create an amaz- of their national story. It is a key reason why ing link between the two soldiers. Australians are so welcome in this land which was once enemy territory. Some passionate and sincere Old Scholar tributes were offered at Beach cemetery and This warm Turkish reception was undeni- Lone Pine, then inspections of the Nek bat- able when we visited a local high school in tlefield, the Turkish positions at Chunik Bair Eceabat and the boys were treated like movie and the remains of trenches through here, all 4 History Still Resonates A Century Later captured our imaginations. A solemn tribute the words and images were quite inspiration- to VC winner, and perhaps the most famous al for us all. Ray Brown and Tom Geyer were PAC Old Scholar, Hugo Throssell, (a boarding “ANZAC given the duty of laying a PAC Community student himself over 100 years ago) was de- wreath during the ceremony. Later that after- livered by Lochie Delbridge and Stewie Har- noon, we noticed an Aussie rules game tak- ris only metres from where he carried out his Tributes” ing place and we visited the VB school there incredible acts of valour. where the sign, DO NOT FORGET AUSTRA- the Somme valley where we investigated the LIA has remained for many years. Paris was our next destination where the tragic battle of Fromelles. Over 2000 young boys were given a brief dissertation on the Australians lost their lives here in just over 24 It is certainly worth noting how easily the French Revolution, then walked it! From the hours! An infamous German corporal, Adolf boarding students in this tour group adapted place de la Bastille, along the Seine to Notre Hitler was involved in this battle too.