1980 School Magazine

1980 now faces us all with the challenge of a new decade. During the past weeks I have been stressing the needs for parents, teachers, girls and indeed society in general, to look forward positively to the challenge and to work constructively for that future. During the past decade we have seen a knowledge explosion that has been hard to comprehend. The development of the tran- sistor and other associated devices has revolutionised our lives and given increaSed freedom to individuals. A new dimension has been added to the learning process - the need to adapt and cope with changes and a need to be {lexible and open minded and to learn to use hidden skills. ln'1959 if a man, and lsay man advisedly, lost his job he was usually assured of finding a similar one in the not too distant future but today in 1979 if a person loses his/her job there is no assurance that another will be available and if it is it may not even slightly resemble the one for which you were trained. Young people leaving school will predictably hold a number of different jobs in their lifetime - education will be ongoing. The end of school- ing is only the beginning. lhope that the girls leaving today will remember this and take the challenge that lies ahead of them. Plan for your futures and look away f rom traditional forms of employment. Think of what is positive and not of the negative. Make the best of oppor- tunities available to you. As Professor Charles Brrch, an eminent Australian biologist states in his book "Confronting the Future": "The orientation of hope is toward the future, even in the darkest hours forces emerge which make a new future possible. We have not reached the point of no return. What holds men back is not the pressure of reality but the absence of dreams. lf enough people could come to see their present predicament and the possibility of new ways into the future we could make the first step into the new world. One sort of world is dying. Another is struggl- ing to be born. We may not be able to predict the future. We can invent it. Whether we do so or not depends upon the awareness o{ enough people of the human predica- ment . . . . a reasonable faith in human nature which recognises human failings. lf we do not try there is no hope. lf we start now there may be time. Every day's delay makes the solutions more difficult." The future is now.

You have only to look at the School Magazine for 1979 to realise that the School continues to provide girls with a broad and liberal education where options are left open as long as possible and where exposure to varied educa- tion experiences is provided. Without the dedication and support of so many of our Staff this versatile programme would not be possible. lt is a great encouragement to us all to Jind that our academic standards remain high and that demand for places within the school is very great and unfortunately all those wishing to have an education at Brisbane Girls' Grammar School cannot necessarily do so. The present enrolment of 760 has remained stable throughout the year and includes 78 boarders. The staff take their educational responsibilities seriously with many participating regularly in various ln'Service Courses. A number are also involved in improvrng their academic qualifications by attending Courses at the Universrty of Queensland. Miss McNamara, Senior English Mistress, will take leave of absence from February 22nd. next year after 24 years of dedicated ser- vice to the school. We all hope that she will return in 1980 refreshed to take up the challenges that will pre- sent themselves wtth the introduction of competency based assessment into Queensland schools. Mr. Bourke, Mathematics Master, willalso be on leave of absence for one semester next year to investigate com- puter programmes for the School through Kelvin Grove C.A.E. We look forward to the results of his investigations and study. Staff leaving today include as well as Mrs. Johnston, Mrs. Lathouras, Miss Forster and Mr. Faragher. Miss Helen Forster leaves after 6 years as an English teacher and Year B level supervisor to take up the posi- tion of Senior English Mistress at Tara Church of England School, Parramatta in New South Wales. Her calm, unruffled support will be missed but I am sure she will take the challenge of her new position and contribute much to the life of her new school. *** Mr. Allan Faragher, Deputy Principal for the past three years and a member of staff for the past seven years leaves to take up his new positton as Principal of Fairholme College, Toowoomba for 1980. During the ear- ly years of moderation in the State, Mr. Faragher was seconded to the Board of Secondary School Studies and was Chief Moderator in Mathematics. ln this position he played an important part in implementation of the Rad- ford Scheme into Queensland Schools. He is presently a member of the Teacher Preparation Sub-Committee formed as one of a number of Committees to investigate the implementation of proposals by the Committee that recently reviewed School Based Assessment. ln such positions Mr. Faragher has contributed much to the development of education in Queensland as well as to the education plans at Brisbane Girls' Grammar School. His exceptional organisational ability has greatly benefit- ted our school during the past seven years with many of the changes in the admrnistration resulting f rom his pro- posals. I am sure Mr. Faragher will look back on his time at Brisbane Girls' Grammar School as a preparation for the challenge that lies ahead of him in his new position and we give our good wishes to Mr. Faragher and his family as they move to Toowoomba to make thetr home at Fairholme College.