IBSC Reflection... Be an adaptive leader

Imagine a South Africa where quality education is provided to every child…

Reflecting on my time at the IBSC International Boys' Schools Coalition hosted by Hilton College . I look forward to attending and presenting at the Annual Conference in July hosted by Harrow, UK.

The International Boys School Collination (IBSC) is generally hosted in term 1 of the school calendar. Teachers will know that term 1 is rather hectic and nonstop, and we often feel overwhelmed with the school calendar. I also think that sometimes, with this busyness, we can lose sight of our purpose or, as Simon Sinek puts it, our "Why". Attending the IBSC conference and being surrounded by like-minded colleagues from schools throughout South Africa for a few days was truly stimulating and inspiring. Thank you to all those involved!

One of my highlights was sharing my thoughts in a breakaway workshop on “Developing a ‘high-performance’ sports programme for the whole school.” It was a great opportunity to discuss school sports and how we must look at every student in our school. What has been encouraging are a few delegates, and I have continued this conversation since the conference.

Furthermore, in reflection, I have summarised a few key takeaways and highlights from the conference.

Puno Selesho (Spoken Word Artist, Poet, and so much more!).. wow. No words will explain Puno's message as we sat under trees on day 1 at the Hilton College Nature Reserve (Henley Lapa). Check out some of Puno’s poems and get her to attend your school! ?

https://lnkd.in/dVwN7yXT

Fabrice Nahimana, someone who has become a good friend of mine over the last year, sat down with Ali Kingsley from Amathuba Foundation to share his story and how sport and education can make a positive difference in one's life. Go check out Fabrice’s story. https://lnkd.in/dmym8Uwr

A few key sayings…

·???????Ethical leadership: Chris Kingsley (Hilton College & Amathuba Foundation)

·???????Connection before content: Tom Batty (IBSC Executive Director)

·???????Different schools, different needs: Dr. Garth Shaw (Headmaster- Dale College) (Go check out Dr Shaw’s PhD paper.)

·???????Who is being marginalised in your school?: Dr Garth Shaw (Headmaster-Dale College)

·???????Students need love, not money: Dale Jackson (Headmaster- Jeppe High School)

We then saw a panel of Grade 12 students take the stage for a discussion. I encourage all schools to do this. It was powerful!

·???????When you give a quiet voice the right setting, he might become the loudest voice: Michaelhouse Pupil.

·???????Every year doesn’t need to be better than the year before: Michaelhouse pupil.

·???????A boy goes through a lot daily, so connect with him with a smile: Hilton Pupil

·???????Be an adaptive leader; sometimes you need to be loud, and sometimes you need to be quiet (Maritzburg College Pupil).

A thought.. How can we provide quality education for all children in South Africa??