Diversity and Transformation at St Benedict’s
As St Benedict’s continues to grow and flourish within the new political and educational landscape of South Africa, the magnitude and complexity of diversity and transformation within and without the school dictates that we broaden our perspectives and recommit ourselves to building a school community in which equity and diversity are viewed not only as moral and ethical imperatives but also as practical necessities.
We understand that our boys, our parents and our staff lead very busy and often over-scheduled lives but we ask that you “open a space” – both in your daily routine and in your mind – to spend a few minutes each day reflecting upon your family’s experiences of diversity at St Benedict’s. Open a dialogue with your son and encourage him to share his thoughts and feelings with you. We firmly believe that as a school and as a community we will be failing our boys if we do not proactively prepare them today for the richly diverse world they will live in tomorrow.
The school, its management and Board of Governors wish to reaffirm the importance of diversity as a core value and strategic imperative. This belief, together with the impetus provided by ISASA’s initiatives in this regard, has led to the establishment of a Diversity and Transformation Team at St Benedict’s. An ISASA Toolkit published on 10 September 2010, called upon member schools to embrace an expanded notion of quality within the school environment which included but also looked beyond academic and sporting results and “to make a strong institutional commitment to, and take active measures to increase diversity”.
The Diversity and Transformation Team is tasked with defining the school’s current status and then repositioning St Benedict’s in terms of Equity and Diversity. This is the first in a series of communications which will draw your attention to the work being done by the Transformation and Diversity Team.
Rich and dynamic social, cultural and intellectual interaction occurs when diverse perspectives intersect. Such interaction promotes critical and innovative thinking that advances and even defines academic thinking and excellence. At St Benedict’s, we must define diversity as not only a driving force but also a necessary condition for excellence: a quality education for our boys is truly achievable only in an environment that fully supports engagement with diverse races, cultures and perspectives. A school of the highest stature, as measured against ideals of both academic excellence and social justice, is one in which excellence and diversity are inextricably intertwined. We envision a school and a community where equity and diversity are woven into the work and the lives of every one of our boys, parents and staff members. As core institutional values, equity and diversity must come to infuse and inform thinking, policies, and practices throughout the school.