Unequal Worlds
I hope the recent break provided a welcome chance to rest, recharge and enjoy some time with loved ones. As we begin Semester Two, we do so with a renewed sense of purpose and possibility. It is a timely moment for our boys to reflect on their growth so far this year, set renewed goals and re-engage wholeheartedly with their learning. Academic growth does not happen by accident, it takes effort, curiosity and persistence. We are looking forward to the term ahead and all the opportunities it will bring, both in the classroom and beyond.
Recently, two groups of students returned from immersion experiences in Cambodia and the Solomon Islands. One of the great privileges of my role is listening to the boys speak honestly and with emotion about their experiences. They return changed, having grappled with the confronting reality of unequal worlds.
They speak of the oppressive heat, of cramped living conditions, of life without running water. They describe watching young girls walk for kilometres to fetch water; water they cannot even drink. They reflect on the scars left by war and the dignity of those who now care for landmine victims. They witness generosity among people who have very little and they are moved by it.
Yet just as deeply, the play and vitality of the encounter also strikes them. Sheer radiance and joy. So unexpected. They leave immersed. All are changed. All are moved to be better and do more.
Our programs are called “immersions” for a reason. The boys do not travel as tourists. They live simply, eat unfamiliar food, face the risk of illness and navigate cultural and linguistic differences. They experience what it means to be in the minority; to be the foreigner. They are immersed.
But the purpose of these programs is not to ‘help’ in the conventional sense; not to ride in as humanitarian cavalry, unintentionally trampling on dignity or assuming superiority. Our immersion philosophy is quite the opposite: we go to walk alongside, not to lead. We go to serve, not to fix. We offer presence, not charity. We come to recognise the ‘other’ as just like us with each person holding a story worthy of love and respect.
We do so to open their world view, to prod their conscience, to form their values and to challenge their beliefs and opinions too often shaped by powerful media. We want them to come home with more questions than answers: Where is God in all this? What does this experience mean for me? How have I been changed? What must I now do?
Part of their learning is their ability to live with complexity. Simple solutions are often a sign of evasion. The more attentively we look and listen, the more complicated and more human the world becomes.
Our hope is that the reality of the world that students perceive might grow and deepen through an immersion experience and that the ultimate goals of a Marist education might be focused in a way that leads to personal formation for a life lived for and with others, especially those who are poor and marginalized in various ways.
We are very grateful to Leigh Southwell, Phil Belcher, Tom McLachlan, Kirsty Bell and Carmelina Paragalli who led and walked alongside our boys during this formative experience.
Matthew Hutchison
Headmaster
