British Schools In The Middle East Conference
‘Education without frontiers’
In the advancement of human development and culture, British education draws its creative and scientific and moral riches from your giants such as Shakespeare and Newton and Churchill. That is why many people think education is Britain’s greatest export.
And we are very happy to have that tradition made available to us and for that we like to welcome British Schools of the Middle East.
It is a pleasure and a privilege for us to welcome you once again to Bahrain.
Especially when your Chairperson is Ed Goodwin, Principal of St. Christopher’s School.
St. Christopher’s is a mini-United Nations. Its students have come from no fewer than 50 countries to live and learn together.
Many Governments could learn from your example of how to collaborate, learn and grow together. How to embrace the truth that what unites our small world is greater than what divides us.
Our ambition in Bahrain is to build a society as open to the world as possible.
With investment and trade and partnership regardless of borders.
So we view with admiration the seriousness and commitment with which BSME provides education without frontiers.
Education is the partner of good government and the prerequisite of economic growth. The previous British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, was just the latest in a long line of political leaders to declare that the three main priorities for government are:
‘Education, education and education.’
A good British school can propel a high achieving girl or boy into the fast lane.
But – just as important – a good British school can identify unpromising material and transform it into talent that makes the world a better place.
Take the case of the boy who took the Harrow entrance exam and failed to write anything on his answer paper except his name, a bracketed figure for the first question – and a smudge of ink. On this slender indication of scholarship, a visionary master, Mr. Welldon, allowed the boy to pass into Harrow.
His name? Winston Churchill. It was Churchill himself who said:
‘Headmasters have the power at their disposal with which Prime Ministers have never yet been invested.’
But with power comes responsibility.
The BSME has 70 schools and 5,000 teachers in 13 countries. They are entrusted with inspiring and guiding approximately 70,000 young people to adulthood. That is an awesome duty. And one that you discharge admirably.
A similar duty rests with governments. In a fast changing, competitive, hi-tech world, education is probably the single most important factor in improving the stability and productivity and prosperity of a society.
As employment becomes ever more skilled, education and training become ever more important in growing an economy. From a government’s perspective, experience tells us that when individuals have the opportunity to learn basic life and literacy skills, the economy grows faster, prosperity rises and poverty rates fall.
And from the individual’s perspective, a good school and inspirational teachers unlock your creativity. They empower you to go forward to acquire a better job. They enable you to be a stronger support for your family and a better citizen of your community.
As you well know, in a global economy education need not stop at borders.
We in Bahrain have initiated the Education Project, a multi-national dialogue among the world’s foremost educational leaders to help shape the future of education around the world.
Our common vision is that a decent education should be the right of everyone, without regard to nationality or gender or income. The Education Project seeks solutions to the widening inequality gap between schools in the wealthy and the poorest nations. We must find solutions. And they must be scaled for the widest possible implementation, with no country left behind.
We in Bahrain believe education is a win-win partnership between individuals and government – enabling individuals to reach their full potential and governments to increase economic competitiveness. Continually upgrading education is a cornerstone of Bahrain’s National Strategy. Thus we have established:
– The Bahrain Teachers College;
– The new Bahrain Polytechnic;
– The Quality Assurance Authority, tasked with setting standards and monitoring quality;
– The new vocational programme to upgrade vocational training in secondary schools;
– Our extended provision for children with special needs;
– And the Crown Prince International & Scholarship Programme continues to open the door to some of the world’s greatest universities for some of our brightest young people, regardless of income or gender.
BSME is an integral part of our reform process and for that we thank you most sincerely.
Teaching is not a static process. New ideas cascade all the time. New systems to make the classroom a better preparation for the world of adult family life and work and citizenship. This is why the BSME Conference is so stimulating and so relevant. I am impressed by your collective commitment to explore new thinking skills. New ways to organise a learning community. New ways to instil not merely knowledge, but the attitudes and habits that distinguish the mature man or woman.
Good governments invest money in education. But good teachers invest heart and soul and mind. Tell me any vocation that matters more than shaping and guiding and inspiring tomorrow’s generation. The rest of us are deeply in your debt because your presence in our Region means that families who want to provide their children with the benefits of a British education can do so. And we all gain because a British education of the quality you provide is our best bridge of understanding, friendship and mutually beneficial relationships with the UK and the wider English-speaking world. I wish you all the success you deserve as your Annual Conference debates the future of education in our region.
Thank you very much.
