From the Principal

Dear Friends,

We were really pleased to open the new Middle School for a walk through by parents of Year 7 students recently. Judging by the comments on that occasion, we believe our community is as impressed as staff are with our new facilities. It will not be all that long before we begin our installation of playground equipment, courts, seating and trees. Earth and concrete works have begun, and we are looking forward to completion of this project with some delight.

Meanwhile, my guess is that the upcoming City Cite event is also provoking anticipation among Year 9 students. Our hope is that this will be the backdrop to a wonderful conclusion for the first term at Oxley. Many camps have already been enjoyed by various year levels with more to come. The College year has begun well, and we appreciate family’s participation in all the events that have been held to date.

Only eight weeks away is the College Open Day to be held on Saturday 6 May. Traditionally, this is an event for our current and prospective community members. I take this opportunity to warmly welcome College families and their guests to this day, beginning at 11.00am. It is a day that we also invite past students to meet, reminisce and see how the College has progressed since their time at Oxley. Further details will be posted on social media and our website as the day approaches.

Oxley remains very open about its Christian foundation and purposes. Our editorials continue to reflect the many aspects of fidelity to the gospel about relationship and narrative. One of the issues I occasionally mull over is what exactly is the motivation for a Christian approach to education. Why are we so concerned about understanding and promoting God’s truth, goodness and beauty in the world? Why is Oxley concerned about potential mission drift? Educational leadership, indeed, any leadership, is not about doing what is popular in the short term. It is about doing what is right, and we rely on biblical perspectives to inform that virtue. 

Christian teaching always takes us back to our origins and the divine nature of creativity. As the Westminster Confession of Faith records, God is self-sufficient and has no need to create anything. He has no need of any Christian institution whether useful to society or not. He is complete in Himself, having no need for creatures or even the universe with its seemingly infinite boundaries of space and time, or anything else in creation. So why create anything under the circumstance of this lack of need? Well, one answer is that God created everything because of His inherent love. The abundance and diversity of the creation is an act of love for its own benefit – that is, for creation to show up His glory and ultimately to share in His glory.

If this is true, our perspective on education must accommodate such knowledge. Our world has a vastly different agenda for education. So, Oxley’s commitments must transcend the world’s rather limited view and approach and ask the question of how to educate in line with the divine act of creation. What would it look like for us to educate out of love; love for the Creator, love for the cosmos, love for the learning disciplines, and love for the children who join this college? 

As parents we find ourselves raising children in a society that celebrates human pride rather than humility and a culture that is generally known for a sense of entitlement rather than generosity. We have a society operating with envy, division and victimhood rather than blessing, unity and trust. Will gratitude and generosity be a trifle for our children? Will they presume God’s grace and providence, presume His blessing and resources? Or will they presume little, and learn to be grateful for His love?

Warm regards

Douglas Peck