Principal
Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders
The magnificent enterprise that is Edmund Rice Education is not just a gift to Australia, but is also one that spans Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. Edmund Rice education is present and active in more than 20 countries teaching over 170,000 students, all inspired and nourished by the Ricean charism in the name of the gospel.
In Waterford, Ireland at the beginning of the 19th century, Edmund and his fledgling band of Brothers surely could not have fully dreamt that their work would spread to the corners of the earth, and continue to flourish to this day. And in this spirit, the poor take precedence because many of the countries in which Edmund Rice education is present, are part of the majority world. The work that is being carried out in these schools is a testament to the charism that Edmund imagined: one where education seeks to liberate, where we stand in solidarity with poor, and we are the great includers, just like Jesus.
Over the past few weeks, some staff from the College have been participating in world-wide videoconferences of educators from across the Edmund Rice network. We have had the privilege of listening to teachers and leaders in Peru, India, Ireland, the United States, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Nairobi, New Zealand, and Australia. What has struck me about these conversations is both ordinary and extraordinary. It is ordinary in the sense that it does not surprise me that we are all on about the same thing: we all want the best for our young people, we all strive to instil in them a love of God and a love of learning, and in so doing, for the spirit of Edmund to be alive in each young person. What is extraordinary though is the stark contrasts of our own situations: where we live, the tools we have at our disposal and the opportunities available.
Naturally, how schools have responded to COVID-19 has been the chief topic of conversation. We have learned how people in Ireland, India, Peru and Africa have coped with long-term school closures and government responses to schooling. The stories are vastly different to our experience. When the Indian government instructed all of its citizens to go home and/or work from home, the poignant and ironic fact is that for many people in India, there is no home to go to, and the work that is done is subsistence – farming, rubbish tip picking and the like – and certainly cannot be done from home. Social distancing is an impossibility for many families living in a one-room slum with sometimes a dozen or more people occupying the space. These conversations are sobering to say the least. It certainly makes me determined for us not to catastrophise here in Australia. We are hope-filled, we are in a good place (geographically, spiritually, medically, and economically) and we have much for which to be grateful.
Last week we listened to Edwina Gateley, a world-renowned missionary, poet, spiritual retreat leader, writer, and speaker. Edwina suggested that COVID-19 can lead us to discover a new and more meaningful lifestyle. She implored us to listen more deeply than we have in the past; and we can do this without a desert experience. What we need to do right now is “stay at home” – connect with our soul and our deeper selves and the earth itself. This is an invitation to pause, pray and to reflect.
I am not sure whether we have had much time in our lives to pause, pray and reflect as the pandemic unfolded, but perhaps as we come to grips with our new ways of being, we have an untold opportunity to examine anew our spiritual selves. We have the gift of really connecting with God and letting go of the things that have preoccupied us.
As I listened to educators from across the globe I marvelled at our easy connections with each other as well; how ready we all were to share something of our story with people we had never met, and how a terrible virus can actually bring people together, spurring us to reinforce a sense of mutual hope across the globe.
It was a profound privilege to hear how schooling has been conducted in Peru. The only means they have engaged in attempting to keep learning happening for their children is through WhatsApp. Teachers have photographed a page of work, then sent it out through a free sharing platform. Most students have access to a cheap mobile, but they do not have laptops or tablets in the home. They also have been learning “remotely” for months and months and there is no sign of a return to face-to-face learning on the horizon just yet.
Rather than bemoaning all we have lost, what has been taken away from us, or how disadvantaged our students are, I was given a sobering and non-too subtle reminder that we are indeed members of the lucky country. Instead of crying for what has been lost, we should rejoice in all that we have. Our great gift is our faith and the example of Edmund Rice. Let us concentrate on that for the time being and continue to instil in our boys a sense of gratitude, hope and a commitment to use our gifts for good.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Jessica Perri (Mathematics Teacher) and her husband Dominic who welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Alessia who was born Wednesday 27 May, weighing 3.75kg and measuring 53 cm. Both Jessica and Alessia are doing well.
Condolences
Please pray for Vic Marando (Year 9) and his family as they mourn the loss of his grandfather Vittorio Marando who passed away on Tuesday 26 May. Please also pray for Xavier (Year 5) and Mateusz Milewski (Year 7) and their family as they mourn the loss of their great grandmother Wanda Adamska who passed away on Monday 25 May age 96. Please also pray for Lachlan Weir (Year 9) and his family as they mourn the loss of his grandmother Mary Ann Weir who passed away on Sunday 31 May, she was wife to Old Boy Graham Weir ('57) and brother in laws, Reon ('67) and Glenn Weir ('76). Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.
Craig Wattam
Principal