1993 School Magazine

way of viewing change. in your lifetime as parents, and yours as women in this world, the only definite thing is that things are going to change. h took me a long time to really under- stand that, and to understand the implications of it. 11 relates to personal lives, health, wealth and lifestyle, but it alsc relates to the resources we use, the climate, what we do with the rubbish, our pollution level and the jobs that you will be doing in ten years time And this is where we turn 10 the three P's. .. Passion Participation and Political. Together with the three R'S, the three P's will set you up for a great adventure through life. Passion - beliefs. Where do they come from? Home. .. values attitudes and sense of achievement. Research shows that the most significant influence on a child's life is from the mother A1 home, often the expectation is that school will do it all My mothei' understood about letting me be. .. And at Ihi: school I was also encouraged to experiment with my ideas never sent away for being wrong, only sent to Miss Shaw foi tea and bikkies and another little talk! And thank you to Mis: Shaw for always listening 10 me and treating me as if I had t right to express my views. Being at a girls school acknowledges that there is an under standing that by pulling girls together wonderful things hap pen. The passion that flows from females revealing their Gino lions reflecis a desire to love things, to feel and believt strongly. And 10 me 10 feel or believe passionately in some thing is very persuasive and thus invites others to participate Why be ordinary when you can be extraordinary is the mes sage I got from home and school. So the recipe I got from my family and my school was 10 par ticipate. .. my second P. To be involved, to speak out and it participate responsibly meant that I would in the main be lis tened to. For to participate is to work out who you are, esiab lishing your identity rather than just wishing you knew wh( you are or relying on the media to work it out! As you my women your participation now will set you up 10 choose hov 10 participate in years 10 come - as students, mothers, workei' and lovers So while working hard, achieving well and living an hones life ale essential attributes, there are other values which as community we must consider. My sense of being radical an I responsible as an educator means 10 me that I must encourag teachers, parents and students not to live passively. Just a bored Qin is dangerous for' teenagers, so 100 not participatin: in society is not good enough. I have told you this schoo regarded nie foi' bein a involved, and I believe that was wha set rite up for' the big world. But 1101 to take action Is 10 in being irresponsible. 011e of the main reasons for nTe joinin; Greenpeace is Inat the organisation bases itself on a philoso phy of bearing witness - that is taking steps to stand up if yo believe that something wrong is being done - in a non-violer way. Now although yoLi may disagree about some of ou methods and purposes 10 me living in a democratic SOCiei means that we are not only allowed to nave our own opiiiion but that we are required to have our own opinions! Bui is it the third P Ihai invokes the most fear in parents an teachers - the political. Most people usually think politica assumes party political, and at Greenpeace I always explai that we don't even talk party political. Political is about us in your values 10 effect change Ihrougli your altitude and Ihi behaviour. What I was doing in Year 12 was political an

I would go home and consider what I could do so I would be more popular or beautiful or funny or smart! Or if only Miss Halton would compliment me at Netball when I tried so hard to get that ball through the hoop! And to the parents - is 11 still that your daughters come home trying 10 convince you that everyone is going 10 the party on Saturday night and begging to be allowed to go as it really is so important? I am now quite convinced that from the sanctuary of my home and school I had the security to be radical in terms of having choices about what I could do. Only when I left school did I learn about people being bored and particularly when I was teaching here in Brisbane at Rochedale School and in Canberra at Girls' Grammar, was I reminded how powerful boredom is in teenagers and in fact in many people's lives But my theory is that adolescence is the time when young women must go for everything. As women are the peacemak- ers in the world, it is the time when a radical way should be tested, and a responsible approach be modelled and respected Beintr a teenager is difficult - it is hard work, exhausting but full of surprises. So I believe it is a time to be different - 10 experiment and be able to do so in an environment where guidance is available and all sorts of achievement rewarded Because once you are out in the big world it is competitive aiTd complex and people will beat your confidence out of you. it is a time not 10 be afraid and not to sell short. Psychologists believe that dreams can be rehearsals for life, but I also believe that adolescence is a rehearsal lime and parents and teachers should allow you as young women of the world to feel important, adventurous, relevant and worthwhile I passionately believe that as an educator it is my responsibili- ty to make young people excited about the world, to be curi- ous and confident and 10 give them the skills to be able 10 gel involved. Good education should transform the way you see the world and palenis can provide an atmosphere where this is taken for granted. it doesn't mean that you will always be right, and should teach yoLi that wisdom comes from age and that parents have been through it all. My experience is that Girls' GranTmaT gave me that opportunity! And by being given a responsible position I responded by learning aboLii leadership, laughter and love! Being successful related to be the best of what I could be. notjust the numbei' one out of the whole group! But I know froin spending 6000 hours here that I learnt about being female in the woi'Id. There is no doubt that men and women are different, and what a girls school does is to encourage young women 10 have their own space. 10 respect their way of aciing in the world and to encourage their feiTiale characteristics. .. intuition. organising ability, caring, nurturing. leading, etc. Now that is something for the fathei's nete which is essential 10 support - once your young women are out there if they naven'I had their uniqLieness respected and acknowl- edged. the negative effect is dramatic and long lasting. And most of all young women have to be encouraged 10 learn from Illsiory Inai ferninisnT is about feeling you have the I'ighi 10 make choices. .. noi the either or argument but to select fi'om the range society offers. My taiher always pointed out that I as a young woman should look at lity ntoiher - her own career, satisfaction and solid and neverending love. I was for- tunaie! And now from working at Greenpeace for the last two years and being the first ever Education Co- o1'dinator I have a new

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