Principal's Message
Raising Good Young Men
In recent weeks, in what seems to be part of the annual national news cycle, there has been a steady stream of media reports highlighting matters related to respect campaigns, consent education and a return to perceptions around a 'toxic masculine culture' that is allegedly attached to sporting clubs, military organisations, the corridors of politics and, rather sadly, boys' schools.
Once again, I have found the narrow view of many such media reports and their eagerness to apportion blame for all societal issues as particularly poor and unhelpful. The responsibility and privilege of forming in our young people an awareness and deep respect for themselves, others, relationships, and, as appropriate, different aspects of consent and respect falls to everyone within our society.
Primarily it is families, complemented by schools and their various programs, and indeed our broader society, that seeks to instil such values in our children and young adults. The unity and consistency of our message and example regarding these values go a long way in reinforcing them as acceptable and expected behaviours. The re-emergence of these issues in recent weeks should not signal a continuation of finger-pointing but rather challenge us to reflect on whether we could do more to educate, demonstrate and encourage our boys (and girls) about consent and respect. It is vitally important that, as critical adults, we should be more overt and unequivocal about what is acceptable and what isn't and find opportunities to reinforce this regularly and as developmentally appropriate. We take this shared journey with our boys at Trinity College. We should unite – families, schools and broader society, to positively raise and form our young men to be kind, caring and respectful.
At Trinity College, within the context of a specific and targeted curriculum presented in Religious Education, Health Education and through various Pastoral and Formation programs, aspects of respectful relationships, protective behaviours and consent are examined and taught regularly. Guest speakers and a targeted focus on particular themes further complement such lessons. For example, last week, we had a wonderful gathering of our Year 9 boys and their parents as we launched their 'Becoming Men Program'. This program seeks to challenge boys to sincerely examine what it is to be a 'good man' and, in doing so, focuses on such things as right relationships, respect, objectification and our attitudes, behaviours and language regarding women.
Next week, we will host our International Women's Day Breakfast and encourage boys from all year groups to join with their mothers, grandmothers and sisters for this special event. International Women's Day celebrates respect, love and cares towards women. It is wonderful that this special day has an increasingly important place in our College and the wider community. I am particularly proud that it forms an essential part of the curriculum and formation programs within our school and that teaching and talking about respectful relationships and women empowerment is part of our boys' holistic education.
In recent years, across all Year cohorts from 4 -12, the College has introduced elements of the Resilience Project. This excellent program encourages students to engage in three key pillars proven to cultivate positive emotion, build resilience and promote respect – Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (GEM). This also challenges the boys to examine all aspects of self-respect and respect for others.
Of course, as a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice tradition, important Christian values about respecting the 'dignity of others' underpins the focus on acceptable behaviours and attitudes. The formal manner in which we follow the 'Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum' across all year levels certainly adds to this. Mindful of age appropriateness and developmental maturity, we regularly discuss such issues despite the content difficulty. The underlying message is that respect for others, and all aspects of consent are not negotiable.
I present these school examples, not as evidence of any solution to such complex social issues but to illustrate our ongoing commitment to keep doing more to assist in forming good young men. As a College seeking continual improvement and open to reviewing our practices, programs and curriculum, we always invite student voices to check our work's validity and currency. Our Prefects and student leaders have been particularly strong in driving such positive change in recent years. Similarly, the feedback from you as parents is also welcomed and valued. In our combined efforts and shared purpose, we can confidently challenge disrespect in thought, words or actions – about and towards any person, for any reason.
Respectfully, I ask you, as parents, to choose the right time and context to converse with your son about respectful relationships and consent. Of course, such a conversation must be carefully considered and could be awkward and difficult. However, our young men deserve such discussions, our young women will appreciate them, and our society certainly needs them.
As I have highlighted previously, the home and the school must enjoy a positive and meaningful partnership centred on each student's care, interests and formation. We should be reminded that being Christian asks us to follow the ways of Christ and to challenge what is inherently wrong. If that remains our focus and authentically guides our actions, we can be confident in developing a culture that nurtures the healthy formation of our young men. They are the future, and we must always seek ways to encourage them to make such a future positive for everyone.
Live Jesus in our hearts.