April 2014
UWC movement and
the International Board
UWCSEA Gap Year programme
Annual report highlights
UWC
movement
and the
International
Board
UWC movement as a whole. As such,
it has the unenviable task of bringing
together the 14 colleges that make up
the membership, along with the various
other components such as the national
committees (who recruit and select
scholars in their countries), so that we
reach consensus on crucial issues.
The Board, chaired by Sir John Daniel
O.C.*, consists of 16 members of whom
three are College Chairs, two are College
Heads, three must have experience of
working with the national committees
and at least five must be UWC alumni.
In order to conduct their business they
usually meet three times a year and this
February we were privileged to host
them in Singapore.
The International Board has
responsibility for defining the ethos
and strategic direction of the UWC
movement. Trying to make the
intangible tangible is challenging at
the best of times and while we all
recognise what a UWC education
looks like, teasing out the component
parts that make up the whole is no
easy task. Over recent years a number
of documents have been written
that encapsulate what it means to
be a UWC. The first of these is a
Memorandum of Understanding that
“Education must enable
young people to effect what
they have recognised to be
right, despite hardships,
despite dangers, despite inner
skepticism, despite boredom,
and despite mockery from
the world …”
Kurt Hahn
By Julian Whiteley
Head of College
UWC South East Asia
As a member of the UWC movement,
the College is guided by the educational
philosophy of Kurt Hahn, and by the
UWC mission to make education a force
to unite people, nations and cultures
for peace and a sustainable future. As
we make this mission come alive in
our context, and provide our students
with the educational experience Hahn
envisioned for them, the thirteen other
schools and colleges in the movement
are doing the same in their various
parts of the world. Given that some
UWC schools only enrol students
for Grades 11 and 12, while others
educate from Kindergarten to Grade
12, that some are located in remote
settings such as a castle in Wales, while
others are situated in vibrant cities like
Maastricht, that some have as many
as 5,200 students while others have
only 180, what keeps us together as a
movement? If we are tasked to interpret
the UWC mission for our context, who
is providing the oversight to ensure that
we are true to the values and intention
of the movement?
The short answer to these important
questions is the International Board.
Whilst all of the Colleges have their
own Boards and are independent
entities, the International Board is
responsible for the governance of the
Does this map look different? In keeping with the UWC ethos, we are now using the Hobo-Dyer Projection for our maps which, as a
cylindrical equal area projection, more accurately reflects the relative size of the continents. Thanks to the alumnus who brought this
to our attention.
UWC Pearson College
Victoria, Canada
UWC-USA
Montezuma, New Mexico, USA
UWC Costa Rica
Santa Ana, Costa Rica
UWC Red Cross Nordic
Flekke, Norway
UWC Dilijan
Dilijan, Armenia
Li Po Chun UWC
Hong Kong SAR, China
UWC Mahindra College
Pune, India
UWC South East Asia
Singapore
UWC Atlantic College
Llantwit Major, UK
UWC Robert Bosch College
Freiburg, Germany
UWC Adriatic
Duino, Italy
Waterford Kamhlaba UWC
Mbabane, Swaziland
UWC in Mostar
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
UWC Maastricht
Maastricht, Netherlands
Many articles in this edition have
expanded content on eDunia
(www.uwcsea.edu.sg/edunia)—
look for the symbol as you
read the magazine and visit
eDunia for more photos, video
and expanded content.
Other stories featured only on eDunia:
Primary School
Grade 2 creates
Artist-in-Residence
Laila Azra works with
students to support
Tabitha
Noon Tunes
Primary musicians
gain performance
experience
Middle School
The Voyage
A unique dance event on Dover Campus
featured original choreography and
dancers from Grade 6, 7 and 8
Green Gecko Trip
View Grade 8 student
Matt Lulu’s video from
the trip to Siem Reap
High School
An Ideal Husband
A successful
collaboration between
students of drama,
visual arts and music
Reverie
The High School Dance Show:
conceived, choreographed and
performed by students
Community
Golden Dragons
East Swimming won
the overall SEASAC
Championship in just
their second year of
competition
Learning through Gap Year
NC Scholar Ludmilla Cardoso de Brito
reflects on what she learned at Akshara
Cover: OPUS 2014 at Esplanade Theatre
outlines an understanding between
the constituent colleges and UWC
International regarding their respective
roles and responsibilities within the
UWC movement. This memorandum
allows the Board and the colleges to
work productively and ensures that they
are mutually supportive. The Guiding
Principles for colleges are based upon
Kurt Hahn’s original thoughts and detail
the basic principles from which the
practice of education at each college is
derived. The recently agreed Educational
Model provides a coherent way for
us to describe that practice. All three
of these documents complement the
UWCSEA guiding principles (made up
of educational goal, ambition, learning
principles and profile) and can be viewed
on the UWC website www.uwc.org.
As with any Board, the International
Board is responsible for setting
the strategic direction of the UWC
movement and maintaining an oversight
of its implementation. The current
strategic plan contains six objectives:
• ensure that UWC’s model of
education maintains relevance and
becomes more widely known as an
example of education for a peaceful
and sustainable future
• extend UWC’s impact
• strengthen and develop the UWC
national committee system
• create a secure and sustainable
financial and funding model
• increase awareness, recognition and
understanding of UWC
• continue to strengthen organisational
effectiveness and unity
All six are being pursued concurrently
but perhaps the most significant is
extending the impact of the movement
through the creation of new colleges.
In September 2014, two new colleges
will open their doos. UWC Robert Bosch
in the city of Freiberg, Germany, will
cater for 200 IB Diploma students and
the UWC Dilijan, Armenia, which will
eventually grow into a school for 650
students aged 13–19. The following year
UWC Changshu, just outside Shanghai,
is also due to open and at capacity will
have 500 students from Grades 10
through 12. The proactive approach the
Board is taking to expansion is likely to
mean more colleges coming on line in
the near future. While this means that
the UWC mission and values can impact
on a larger number of students, it is also
positive for our current students, who
will benefit from an extended network
of fellow students around the world.
Implementation of the strategic
plan and the day-to-day running
of the UWC movement falls to the
UWC International Office in London,
which coordinates the activities of
the movement. A significant aspect
of their work is the strengthening
and development of the national
committees in over 140 countries.
Collectively, the colleges award
in excess of 1,000 full and partial
scholarships each year to students of
promise and potential whose views
are aligned with the UWC mission.
Consisting of volunteers, some of whom
are alumni, the national committees
are key to the success of the movement
as they select the majority of our
scholars. Motivated by a common belief
in what we are trying to achieve, we
are fortunate to have such committed
people working with us.
Working with the International
Office, the International Board has
an important role in raising UWC’s
global profile. As an example, through
attendance at the Clinton Global
Initiative, UWC has been able to create
a scholarship programme aimed at
educating and developing a network
of globally aware female leaders in
post-conflict countries. This raising of
our profile also benefits our current
students, by bringing the UWC
educational model, and UWC students
and alumni, to the attention of a
wider audience.
Outside of their formal responsibilities,
the International Board, who are all
volunteers, work tirelessly to support
the UWC cause. We are extremely
fortunate to have such a dedicated
group of individuals, who help to
ensure that whatever UWC a student
attends, their connection to the UWC
mission and the movement as whole,
remains strong.
*You can read an interview with Sir John
Daniel on pp 4–5 of this edition of Dunia
Sir John Daniel O.C. is a dedicated
educationalist, and has spent much of his
40-year career developing avenues to make
education more accessible. His links to the
UWC movement were strengthened during his
tenure as Vice President of the IB organisation,
and the UWC movement was fortunate to
have him accept the pro bono position of
Chair of the UWC International Board in
January 2012.
His career has included the post of Assistant
Director-General for Education at UNESCO
(2001–2004) in a period when the central
focus was on creating the framework to deliver
on the Education for All goals, which had been
agreed in the World Forum in Dakar in 2000.
These goals were to be realised by 2015, and
it was evident in the interview that their
achievement—and the next steps needed to
follow on from them—remain very much on
his mind.
Most recently, he was President and
CEO of The Commonwealth of Learning
(2004–2012)—the only international, intra-
governmental body focused exclusively on
using technology to expand the scope and
scale of learning. He was also instrumental in
further steering The Open University (UK) on
its path to expansion using new technology
and partnerships with the BBC to deliver
education to greater numbers of students
during his time as Vice Chancellor (1990–
2001), and has also served as President of
Laurentian University in Canada (1984–1990).
Sir John is an Honorary Fellow of St Edmund
Hall, Oxford University (1990), the College of
Preceptors (1997) and the Commonwealth of
Learning (2002). He won the Symons Medal of
the Association of Commonwealth Universities
in 2008 and his 32 honorary degrees are from
universities in 17 countries.
The three countries where he has lived and
worked have recognised his contributions with
national honours: France – Ordre des Palmes
Académiques (Chevalier–1986; Officier–1991);
United Kingdom – Knight Bachelor (1994);
Canada – Order of Canada (Officer–2013).
He now works on various international
projects including as Education Master at the
Beijing DeTao Masters Academy in China and
as Senior Advisor to Academic Partnerships
International.
He spoke with East Campus student
Dhanya Nageswaran during his recent visit
to Singapore.
Meet the
Chair of
the UWC
International
Board
Interview with
Grade 9 student
Dhanya Nageswaran
An interview
with Sir John Daniel
Sir John Daniel set the tone for our
interview with a quick and purposeful
entrance. Without wasting a minute,
we began by talking about his
background, quickly skipping over
his many educational qualifications
and a summary of his experiences,
before exploring his views on the UWC
movement and its future.
I began by asking his thoughts on
UWC, and what he knew of the
movement before joining the board in
January 2012. While he is not a UWC
alumns, his daughter was so inspired
by the students she met and their
commitment to the UWC values when
she visited UWC Pearson College with
him in the mid 80s that she finished her
education at UWC-USA. He was very
candid with his belief that he thought
UWC was not going to move the
whole world with only 12 schools, and
that one of his first observations after
accepting the role of Chair was that
UWC needed to focus on improvement
and expansion rather than on how
wonderful it already was. He observed
that the UWCs hadn’t seemed to think
of themselves as a cohesive movement
until very recently, but leaned slightly
forward at this point, and spoke about
how “the movement is now really
something that has wind in its sails.”
While he sees a benefit in not being a
UWC alumnus in fulfilling his role as
Chair he also recognises the value of
having a ‘passionate alumna’ to help
steer the movement in the form of Jill
Longson, Vice Chair (UWC Atlantic
College), and feels that “the two of us
working together manage to steer a
decent path.”
Sir John has visited eight of the 12
UWC schools and colleges during
the past year, and he hopes to visit
the remaining campuses shortly. At
the moment, he is sharply focused
on managing sustainable growth. In
his opinion, it is probably the most
important challenge facing the UWC
movement. His observation is that
until about 10 years ago, the UWC
movement was more a cluster of
schools set up for different reasons.
One of the Board’s current aims is to
expand the movement (and therefore
its impact) while making sure that any
new UWC members contribute to the
movement as a whole. As a result,
the International Board have recently
agreed an application and approval
process for new member proposals to
help ensure this.
World over, educational institutions
are grappling with the challenge of
becoming financially sustainable.
UWC is no exception and one Sir John’s
major preoccupation in his time as Chair
has been examining funding models
for future UWC schools and colleges.
As we discussed this, he rubbed his
forehead and spent a few seconds
reflecting deeply about the uncertainty
of the community’s reaction to the
introduction of new models. In staying
true to his role as chair, he remains
open to all funding models, but is also
committed to respecting the views and
opinions of the UWC community on
any new institutions.
This led naturally to a reflection on
whether different models would be
able to be true to the original ideals
and values of the movement. As new
people and ideas come in (to the
movement), there is a concern as to
whether these successors are creating
variations that may not be as Kurt
Hahn intended. However, according to
Sir John, “a movement would never be
able to develop without variations now
and then.”
One of the achievements he feels
the movement can be proud of is the
leadership role that UWC plays in the
IB community. The IB programme was
originally created by UWC along with
Ecole Internationale in Switzerland.
There are now over 3,000 IB schools
in the world but within the IB, UWC
is still regarded as the ‘research
department’ for the IB world. While
the UWC International Board would
like the member schools and colleges
to continue to be unique and original,
he is not concerned about other
schools trying to copy the UWC model,
believing that “people copying the
movement shouldn’t be a concern,
because imitation is sincere as a form
of flattery.”
As the interview concluded, I asked
him what kind of people he would
like to see the alumni become 10
or 20 years after graduation. His
response was, “I would like them to
be comfortable in their own skins
and leaving their world better than
they found it. I would hope that
they still retain some of the idealism
they took out of the UWCs in terms
of international understanding and
sustainable development.” Lastly, I
asked if he could give one piece of
advice to this year’s graduating class.
He replied, “Follow your nose towards
anything that seems interesting. That’s
been the story of my life. Whatever
seemed interesting to me, such as
distance learning, changed my life.
UWC students do tend to be the kind of
people who make their own decisions
and I’m sure most of them have already
started to do that. You only live life
once and there’s no point in spending it
doing something you wish you hadn’t
done. If you find yourself doing that,
change it and do something else.”
Focus
Africa Week
celebrates
the positive
By Amukelani Muyanga
Grade 12
East Campus
I am proud to be a part of an incredibly
vibrant and ambitious GC here at East—
Focus Africa. Last year in one of our
‘blue sky thinking’ sessions we discussed
the idea of doing something that would
satisfy our aims: to celebrate and
share the wonderful diversity of Africa
and all the positive things that make
Africa such a special place, and to raise
awareness of African issues. We knew
what we wanted to achieve but were
challenged in figuring out how to do so.
As a South African, I recognised that my
opinions about the continent are biased,
and so it was vital that other members
of the GC from all over the world gave
insight into what they thought would be
most impactful and interesting. It was
through a UWC-esque cross-cultural
collaboration and exchange of ideas
that our GC group decided to host
UWCSEA’s first ever Focus Africa Week!
Through months of planning, we
compiled a full programme for the week
that included educational opportunities
through speakers at assemblies and in
classes, dance and music performances,
an art exhibition, African dishes on offer
in the canteen, and the Festival of Africa
as an unforgettable ending.
Focus Africa Week, held 3–7 March,
began with a launch party that included
the opening of our art exhibition.
Members of the UWCSEA community
submitted striking photos they had
taken during their travels to the
continent. We were lucky to have with
us Bob Muchabaiwa, a Zimbabwean
who works for Save The Children in
Kenya and flew all the way here to
celebrate the week with us. In addition
to the launch party, Bob spoke to
Global Perspectives and Economics
classes to help educate students about
economic, social and cultural elements
of Africa.
Throughout the week, students from
Focus Africa put on assemblies for other
students from Primary School through
to High School with some African
students from Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone,
Namibia, Ghana and South Africa
giving talks on topics relevant to our
peers. I feel so grateful to have had the
opportunity to share my heritage with
people who might have had incomplete
ideas about it, and I know that many of
my African friends feel the same. It was
humbling to see High School students
reach out to some much younger ones
and form links where there would
usually be more.
The week culminated with the Festival
of Africa, which included performances
by students of all ages, staff and
parents from both campuses. Poetry,
song and dance all came together in a
celebration of the beauty of Africa. The
festival showcased Ghanaian, Mauritian,
South African and Senegalese dances,
poetry from students Louise Okatch
from Kenya and Kudakwashe Mushaike
from Zimbabwe, and performances
from numerous UWCSEA ensembles,
bands and choirs.
Perhaps the best part of the week was
the positive response and support we
received from the UWCSEA community.
A number of students, some of whom I
do not know well, have come up to me
and other Focus Africa members and
shared something specific that they
learned, such as the fact that some of
the fastest growing economies in the
world are in Africa, or that traditional
world maps misrepresent the size
and significance of the continent. It is
gratifying to see that our aims to raise
awareness and celebrate the positive
things that make Africa such a special
place were realised.
Visit eDunia for a photo
slideshow from Focus
Africa Week.
Photos by Jim Lim
By Nadine Bailey
Research Librarian
East Campus
In an international community such as
UWCSEA, the challenge of supporting
and maintaining students’ mother
tongue is an important issue for many
families. On 28 February the East
Campus hosted a forum for parents
entitled “How to support mother
tongue learning at home from Primary
to IB.” Staff, parent and student
panelists shared their insights.
While the values and circumstances
around mother tongue study are unique
to each family, some key points from
the discussion included:
• formal language lessons are beneficial
because they include a proven
methodology and structural approach
to learning
• starting lessons as early as possible
can help to ensure a sound foundation
in correct grammar and syntax
• 3½ hours per week of language and
45 minutes of cultural understanding
until the age of 12 is considered to be
a minimum; for a difficult language
such as Chinese, up to 15 hours per
week may be needed
• in addition to formal classes,
language exposure can include books,
newspapers, music and movies
• parents can help connect students’
learning at school with equivalent
mother tongue materials; in History,
for example, an alternate view of
events could be offered this way
• using mother tongue textbooks and
speaking the mother tongue at home
while helping with homework are
other ways to support development
of vocabulary
• where students are required to
keep reading logs, permission can
be requested from the teacher that
mother tongue books meet a portion
of the reading requirement
For the full-length article and
links to resources,
please visit eDunia.
With the goal of fostering deeper cultural appreciation and understanding through
hands-on experiences with indigenous artistic and cultural traditions, East Campus
held its inaugural Asian Arts and Culture week from 17–21 February.
This year’s Asian culture of focus was Bali, and two internationally acclaimed Balinese
performing artists spent the week on campus to enrich and enlighten our students
from Primary to High School. The visiting artists worked with students in drama,
art and music classes throughout the week, which also included performances,
workshops for parents and a spirited day of sarongs and satay to close the week.
In addition, our Bali Bridges GC service partner and friends from Widhya Asih
Foundation spent the week on campus working with the Grade 4 students. A
highlight of the week was their inspiring performance on Thursday evening.
The entire school community was involved in the week and by the end it was clear
that an annual tradition had been born. As you will see from the following quotes
from community members, the benefits were wide reaching.
What a delightful week! Seeing the school decorated with Balinese ornaments surely
made me feel proud to be Indonesian … My children who are 15 and 17 never attended
school in Indonesia. At the start, they puzzled over why Indonesian parents were willing
to spend so many hours and put so much effort to prepare for Bali week. When the
week ended, they understood more about their own culture and were more proud of
being Indonesian. They saw how foreigners appreciated our culture … Curiosity brings
awareness to students. For me that’s more than enough to pay back all the sweat.
Dian Fitrasari, parent
Asian Arts and Culture Week was a fantastic opportunity to learn about music and art
forms from other cultures in a practical way. We had professional Balinese performers
to teach us the how, when and why of wayang kulit, kecak and topeng, and tried them
out for ourselves. We got to experience the crazy beautiful mix of sounds and colours
and movement that is Balinese performing and culture.
Heather Ruth Cox, Grade 11
From a music perspective, Asian Arts and Culture Week was very enlightening. It
taught me and my peers taking IGCSE Music the value of rhythm and how important
it can be to sustain music, whether it is purely percussion or dominated by melodies
with definite pitch. The kecak was also an opportunity to experience the difficulty
of working with complex polyrhythms in a very large group of people. It was great
practice of musical collaboration.
Cheryl Bains, Grade 9
It was particularly wonderful to see so many parents involved in supporting the school,
running their own events and making the week one for the whole community. The
Thursday concert – a collaboration between the Bali Bridges GC and Widhya Asih
Foundation – was both inspiring and moving. Thanks to Anna Parr who masterminded
the week, and to all those parents and students who got involved.
Nick Alchin, High School Principal
Asian Arts and Culture Week: Bali
Supporting
mother tongue
learning at home
Susan Edwards
Head of Global Concerns
Dover Campus
Overwhelmingly, mine is a positive job.
On a daily basis, I work with students
who want to help others. It doesn’t
get much better than that, and then,
if that in itself is not the definition of a
rewarding job, then surely you will be
convinced when I say that one of the
great privileges of working at UWCSEA
is the unexpected, humbling and
inspirational stories that come my way.
Elsemieke Marren came to my office
one morning in February 2013, quietly
My Munda Biddi adventure
and in a very unassuming manner she
told me of her plan to cycle the Munda
Biddi Trail Ride in Western Australia.
This off-road cycling epic would be
undertaken with her dad and the reason
for this challenge was to raise funds
to build a school in Cambodia. Having
travelled to Cambodia on several
occasions, Elsemieke had seen the need
first hand and so, following the Global
Concerns’ motto ‘Turning Ideas into
Action’, she and her father took action.
The journey was tough and
unforgettable; Elsemieke and David’s
gift of education to 1,200 children in
rural Cambodia, remarkable.
Elsemieke Marren
Grade 10
Dover Campus
The seed idea of riding the Munda
Biddi trail in Western Australia to build
a school in Cambodia was planted on
our way home from the airport after
our second family housebuilding trip.
It is a great privilege to build for the
Cambodian families, yet I wanted to do
something more, so building a school
through Tabitha seemed to be the
perfect contribution.
How on earth were we going to raise
US$52,000 needed for a six-room
school? Since our family is keen on
sports, we thought ‘why not do a
major sporting event?’ The trail we
chose is the longest off-road trail in
the southern hemisphere, stretching
1,000km through outback Australia
from Mundaring, just north of Perth,
to Albany, the southernmost point of
Western Australia.
To do it, we would have to camp,
carrying our own food and clothes
with us on the bikes. We headed to
Perth straight after I returned from the
Ladakh Trip in July 2013.
The trail was a real challenge and I must
admit there were several days where
I just wanted to give up and go home
to a nice warm shower and hot food.
The toughest day was when we rode
for 10 hours, having been lost twice.
We ended up riding in the dark for
three hours—not very pleasant because
neither of us had a sense of direction
and we could only see about one metre
ahead. I felt such a sense of relief when I
saw the sign for the overnight hut at the
end of that day’s long ride.
Thankfully, the trail got easier further
south as it had only been open for a
year and so was in very good condition.
Once we reached Albany, I was relieved,
sad and overjoyed because our amazing
adventure was over. I couldn’t believe
we had reached our goal.
Once back in Singapore, we tallied up
the donor funds to discover that we had
raised SG$128,000—enough for two
schools! I contacted Janne Ritskes, the
Founder-Director of Tabitha and a few
weeks later, I received the proposals for
the construction of two schools: Koul
in Svey Rieng Province and PumLey in
Prey Veng Province. Tabitha started
construction immediately and it was
amazing to see the progress of the
schools in the weekly reports.
During the 2014 Term 2 holiday, our
family went back to Cambodia. It was
a very special moment as we visited
the schools and received a very warm
welcome. I was happy beyond belief to
see the schools in session; it made all
the hard work worthwhile and showed
me what a difference I could make with
a little effort. It was even more special
to realise that the Prey Veng school
is located next to the village that our
family had been house building in only
two years previously. We had come full
circle … a job well done by all involved.
“We recognise we have a long way to go materially to
create schools such as UWCSEA. However, spiritually and
intellectually we can perceive shared philosophies that
bolster our courage to continue to work towards a vibrant and
progressive education system that enables children to realise
their potential as individuals and as participate citizens.”
Venerable U Nayaka
Monastic Education Development Group, Myanmar
UWCSEA’s Teacher to Teacher (T2T)
training project responds to the needs
of non-governmental organisations
working to improve the quality of
education available to very needy
children in Myanmar and Cambodia. It
takes an abundant resource—UWCSEA
teachers’ skill in teaching—and
through the donation of their time
and expertise, applies it to support the
development of teachers working in
challenging circumstances.
One group of UWCSEA teachers is
currently working with the Monastic
Education Development Group (MEDG)
in Myanmar. An elected group of
senior monks representing all states
and divisions in Myanmar, the MEDG
members have agreed to undertake
reform of the monastic school system.
This includes setting minimum teaching
competencies and supporting capacity
building, infrastructure support and
the development of management
and leadership.
The development of minimum teaching
competencies is the area in which
T2T is involved, and will provide a
starting point for an agreed set of
teacher standards in areas including
child-centred teaching approaches,
assessment, curriculum development
and technology education. The
competencies will form part of a
minimum training package for all
teachers in MEDG schools—who,
at the moment, are not required to
have a certificate in education. They
are generally recruited from the local
area—sometimes former students
of the school in which they now
work—with little or no additional
education. Operational costs are based
on local donations, and although the
government has recently begun to
support the salaries of teachers in
monastic schools, resources remain
limited with many teachers working
voluntarily or for a limited stipend of
approximately US$10–15 per month.
Monastery-based schools offer free
education including textbooks, basic
stationery, and in some cases, school
lunch programmes to 300,000 of
Myanmar’s poorest children in around
1,700 schools. The schools are open
to all children regardless of religion
or ethnicity, although students come
primarily from needy Burman and
Buddhist families and marginalised
groups who are not otherwise able
to access government schools. While
the monastic schools follow the same
curriculum as the government schools,
many also lack basic facilities, teaching
and learning materials, and have
inadequate sanitation and hygiene
facilities. Most are primary schools;
very few extend to offer secondary
level education.
The MEDG reform work is part of
a larger initiative, the Myanmar
Education Consortium (MEC) of which
Burnet Institute (an Australian-based
NGO working in long-term health
improvement for poor and vulnerable
T2T: Monastic Education Development Group
communities internationally) is a
founding member, along with Save the
Children and World Vision.
This year, UWCSEA teachers have
visited Mandalay in Myanmar twice, to
work with colleagues from the MEDG
to help develop their teacher training
programme. A delegation of MEDG
members including monks, teacher
trainers, and representatives of NGOs
also visited the Dover Campus from
18–20 March to learn more about
how a modern educational system
works. The delegation had a rich and
thought provoking three days, and
through conversation, presentations
and observations, developed a solid
understanding of UWCSEA, “We saw
how vision and mission are enacted in
myriad practical ways throughout the
school environment so that teaching
and learning can happen integral to
whole school operations, amongst
every member of the student body and
the staff.”
The Venerable U Nayaka who led the
MEDG delegation to Dover Campus
summed up their visit, “We may
continue to teach and learn under the
trees but what we teach, how we teach
and what we learn will never be the
same again.” When we consider that
the 14 monks who visited UWCSEA are
collectively responsible for the learning
of over 15,000 students, the potential
impact of their visit is immense.
10
Kevin Morley
Gap Year Coordinator
UWCSEA
Ten years ago only a handful of our
graduating class postponed going to
university in order to take a Gap Year; in
the Class of 2013, 36 students elected to
take a full or partial Gap Year.
The Gap Year programme at UWCSEA
enables our students to put the UWC
values into practice in Southeast Asia
before going to university. It builds on
three of the key principles of a UWC
education—undertaking service to
others, development of self-reliance and
life skills, and gaining greater awareness
of self and others.
Since the first students traveled to Kenya
in 2004, the programme has evolved and
now offers a range of short and longer
term placements in a range of countries
in Southeast Asia and beyond, and with
a range of experiences in various fields
of endeavour. These include teaching
English in schools in Ladakh and
Nepal, community development in the
Philippines, Cambodia and India, legal
education and human rights support
in Thailand and Vietnam, sports and
youth work in Malaysia and Australia,
environmental protection in Lombok and
Tioman and opportunities in the arts
including music, dance, visual arts and
drama working with Tiny Toones, the
international award-winning breakdance
project in Phnom Penh. One student
in the Class of 2013 also trialed a new
placement in the Pite Bairo medical clinic
in East Timor.
UWCSEA’s Gap Year programme
All of the Gap Year placements have
been developed with grassroots
organisations with which UWCSEA has
been actively working for many years.
Each project is carefully assessed to
ensure that there is an opportunity for
a meaningful contribution to be made
by the Gap Year student. Only when the
College is satisfied that the placement
will be of benefit to everyone do we offer
the placement to our Grade 12 students.
Before a Gap Year commences, the
students, their parents, UWCSEA and
the host sign a four-way Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU). This MOU
sets out specific expectations for
each signatory, as part of a ‘service
agreement’ and is designed to ensure
the arrangement delivers true mutual
benefit. In this way, the student (and
their parents!) know exactly what
they are signing up for, and the NGO
knows that the student we send to
them is equipped with the knowledge
and desire to make the most of the
placement for the benefit of everyone.
The MOU outlines the placement’s
work expectations, provides for
supervision, safe accommodation and
insurance for the participants, as well
as communication and educational
commitments.
UWCSEA’s criteria in implementing
a Gap Year placement involves being
able to truly fulfil a need and provide
mutual benefit to both the host and the
Gap Year student. Thinking through the
skills of the UWCSEA students looking
at the Gap Year placements, the idea
of developing English language training
courses to better equip our students to
make a meaningful contribution was
developed. As a result, UWCSEA has
partnered with the British Council to
provide an accredited English Language
Teaching course to our Gap Year
students, while they are still at school or
have just graduated.
Project
Number of students
Chiang Mai BABSEA CLE
Lamdon School, Ladakh
Leeuwin Tall Ship, Australia
Gili Trawangan, Lombok, Indonesia
Equitable Cambodia: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
11
Equitable Cambodia: Sustainable Cambodia
Tioman Island, Malaysia
UWCSEA expeditions
Lihuk Panaghiusa, Cebu, Philippines
Himalayan Voluntourism
Pite Bairo Clinic, East Timor
Own projects
Class of 2013 Gap Year Projects
11
Mallika Ramdas
Head of University Advising
Dover Campus
Based on the conversations we have
had with a wide range of university
admissions officers in our most popular
country destinations (USA, UK, Canada,
Australia) and other countries, the
answer to this question seems to be a
clear ‘Yes.’
Universities generally consider
students who choose to spend a
Gap Year productively to be valuable
members of their college community
because they tend to be more mature,
confident, enthusiastic about returning
to academic life, and purposeful
following experiences that have shaped
their personalities and interests since
the time they graduated from High
School. They comment, particularly, on
students’ enhanced interpersonal and
communication skills, greater sense
of themselves and their identity, and
often, their sharpened skills as both
team players and leaders (since many
students’ Gap Year pursuits develop
these character traits and skills).
Universities seem to value all kinds
of possible Gap Year activities, which
could include paid or volunteer work,
community service, travel, language
study, caring for sick family members,
taking short-term courses, gaining
work experience in a particular field,
attempting extreme physical challenges
like mountain climbing, developing
oneself in a particular sport or playing
sports at a competitive level, or
fulfilling National Service obligations—
or some combination of these things.
The willingness shown by many
universities to defer a student’s
admission offer in order to enable them
to take a Gap Year is testament to the
high value that universities place on the
Gap Year experience. Some universities
value gap year experiences so much
that they have even created their own
Gap Year or Bridging programmes
for High School students they have
admitted to undertake before they
enrol at university, for example,
To Gap Year or not to Gap Year?
Princeton University. Tufts University
is another of a handful of universities
in the US who are so supportive of Gap
Years that they recently announced the
launch of a programme that will provide
financial assistance to students who
would otherwise be unable to afford a
Gap Year.
A point to note, however, is that
universities are less interested in
students’ intentions to take a Gap Year,
and more interested in what they’ve
actually done or achieved during their
Gap Year. So it doesn’t particularly
enhance a student’s chances of being
accepted if they simply declare their
intention to do meaningful things
during a (future) Gap Year. However,
students who apply during a Gap
Year (or National Service) who are
able to draw on their experiences in
their application essay or personal
statements can often be seen as
bringing enhanced qualities and skills.
Some fields in which we have seen
students’ Gap Year experiences
definitely enhancing their ability to
get accepted onto a desired course of
choice include medicine, veterinary
medicine and law. Students who use
Gap Years to gain valuable relevant
work experience as well as gain greater
confidence seem to interview much
more successfully for these highly
selective courses later on; we have
seen several cases of a student being
unsuccessful when they applied during
Grade 12, but then when re-applying
during a Gap Year, with considerably
more relevant experience (and
confidence), being accepted.
My final note on the value of a Gap Year
is on the value to future employers.
Anecdotally, we have heard from both
our alumni and from some employers
that a student’s Gap Year experiences
are often an eagerly pursued topic
during job interviews. Experiences
during a Gap Year which develop any of
the skills that many employers seek in
employees (teamwork, communication,
language skills, leadership, innovation/
problem solving, etc.) can make a
prospective employee stand out in an
interview. And in today’s global, mobile
world, it may also give a student a
prior familiarity with a country/region
where they are now seeking to find
employment.
Read some Gap Year stories on eDunia
• Ludmilla Cardoso de Brito – Akshara, an NGO near UWC Mahindra College, India
• Wyclife Onyango Omondi – Lihuk Panaghiusa Inc. in The Philippines
• Itamar Carrillo – Pite Bairo Clinic, East Timor
• Sophie Barbier – language course in Beijing and Lamdon School,
Ladakh
12
“I’m a living witness and
testimony, having been
a beneficiary and now a
benefactor, to how small
changes could change
the world.”
Mike Ogutu
Class of 2008
UWCSEA 2006–2008
By Linda de Flavis
University Advisor
Dover Campus
Have you ever wondered whether
national committee scholarships really
benefit the scholars’ communities?
Mike Ogutu is living proof of the
difference they can make. Now living in
Toronto, Mike has travelled far from his
roots in rural Kenya. As a boy, walking
14 kilometre each day to an under-
resourced government school, and
studying at night only when there was
paraffin for the lamp, Mike longed for
a better education. “I was turned away
when I couldn’t pay the $125 annual
tuition—sometimes missing weeks of
school until my parents could scrape
together the money and I was allowed
to return.”
Despite the obstacles, Mike’s dreams
came true when he set a school
record in his national exams and
won a scholarship to UWCSEA. The
scholarship transformed his life.
He went on to study Economics
at Middlebury, an elite liberal arts
college in Vermont, USA, thanks to
the generosity of Shelby Davis (the
American philanthropist whose UWC-
Davis Scholars program has sponsored
more than 4,200 UWC graduates at 94
US universities).
But the story of transformation is not
merely personal. Inspired by Shelby
Davis’ principle of “Learn, earn and
return,” Mike is a philanthropist in
his own right, launching the Ungana
Scholarship programme.
How did Ungana begin?
It began informally in my first year at
Middlebury, as a way of giving back.
People in my community had been
so generous to me, chipping in the
little they had to help with school fees
whenever my parents ran out of money.
From UWC onwards, the world opened
up and so many people believed in and
encouraged me. I went to university on
a full scholarship. I’m indebted to all the
people who helped me go through my
own education.
At Middlebury I worked several campus
jobs to sponsor two scholars. In my
final year, buoyed up by the strong
performances of the students I’d
sponsored, I decided to help many more
and let the world know that there is
great potential in students from rural
areas. They are smart, creative and
potential leaders in various fields. They
simply lack $125 to be in school.
I believe that the students I sponsor
will be great one day. It’s just a matter
of giving them the opportunity and
they’ll be the leaders our societies need.
UWCSEA also developed my innate
desire to give back, through service
and GCs.
Why were your parents so supportive
of your educational goals?
My dad is a Grade 5 drop out. I don’t
know my mum’s level of education. She
dropped out even earlier and never talks
about it. As ‘failures,’ my parents always
wanted their children to get the best
education in Kenya. They did their very
best to make this possible.
What were some of the challenges
you faced at your school in Kenya?
We lacked the resources that
other schools enjoyed—books, lab
equipment, even teachers. Learning was
a struggle … Some teachers were really
good but others would show up only 10
minutes before the end of class.
How did you learn about the UWC
scholarships?
My friend heard about the scholarship
competition on the radio. I had never
heard of UWC or even Singapore back
then. I found myself competing with
people from high-performing national
schools. The competition was very
stiff and, on top of that, there were so
many stressful challenges involved in
travelling to the interview day, that I
have never quite stopped wondering
how it turned out in my favour!
Be the change you want …
13
I believe you also faced some
challenges in joining us at UWCSEA?
Yes, many challenges! When I boarded
an Emirates Airbus in Nairobi, the first
flight of my entire life, I didn’t even
know where Singapore was. I’d spent
the previous month going back and
forth every two days to try and collect
my passport from the Immigration
Office in Kisumu. The officers wanted a
bribe but I don’t do that, so I just kept
showing up.
While I was still chasing a passport,
school had already started. Finally
I went to the Nairobi immigration
office and the Kenya UWC chairperson
contacted some people there. I got
my passport and flew out the next
day. By then it was three weeks into
the semester.
Weren’t you tempted to give in and
bribe the immigration official? After
all, you were already three weeks
late for school …
I believe in personal integrity. No
matter the situation I am in, I choose
not to do bad to get to a better place.
What was it like flying for the first
time, alone, to a foreign country?
I just kept telling myself whenever I get
there, I’ll be happy. I reached Changi
around 9pm but there was nobody
to meet me, due to a communication
glitch. Since I had only $10 and a small
suitcase, I stayed at the airport until
6am. In the morning I took a taxi to
Senior House. The first person I met
was a cleaner who lent me my cab fare
and called the boarding house director.
Tell us about your career—how does
it help you with your NGO work?
I deal with figures, learn about the
regulations, investment opportunities
and market trends every day at work.
With this, I’ve learned to appreciate
and account for every penny that
donors or I contribute to the NGO.
I’ve also learned how to present our
NGO financials to our supporters and
Board of Advisors. It gives me ideas
about business opportunities to ensure
sustainability.
How much has your NGO grown?
Working with local schools and
volunteers in our Independent
Committee who vet applications,
we’ve already sponsored several very
smart, creative students who possessed
leadership qualities but lacked funds.
We selected 23 more students for the
2013 academic year and another 15
in 2014.
Which of your experiences helped
you to realise the practical and
visionary aspects of your NGO?
I learned management and networking
skills while I was student manager for
the calling programme at Middlebury.
I also drew on the expertise of people
like Thea and Anthony Skillicorn,
Peter Dalgliesh, Charles McCormick
(President Emeritus of Save the
Children), and the Middlebury Center
of Social Entrepreneurs.
My Initiative for Peace experience
at UWCSEA and my professional
experience at State Street helped shape
my vision in sustainability issues. My
team and I are discussing potential
business opportunities that would make
the project self-sustaining in the future.
What are your long-term goals for
Ungana?
Our target is to continue sponsoring
at least 20 students every year and to
add more schools in rural areas. As our
students graduate from high school,
we are under pressure to help them
continue their education. Longer term,
I want to expand to cover all the rural
areas in Kenya and even reach out to
students in other African countries who
need help.
What advice would you give a
UWCSEA student hoping to start an
NGO?
If something in society is not done in
the way you think it should be, don’t
wait. The sooner you start the better.
Be the change you want for the world.
For more information, see
www.unganascholars.org
14
The 2012–2013 UWC South East Asia Annual Report was recently published,
providing up-to-date statistics on the College learning programme and
operations. Charles Ormiston, Chair of the UWCSEA Board of Governors,
commented in his introductory letter that it was another year of
“outstanding student achievement and positive institutional development,”
while Julian Whiteley, Head of College, wrote of his pride in our students “I
feel very fortunate to work with such exceptional young people, who with
their talent and commitment are making a positive difference in the world.”
Included in the report are sections on student achievement in each
element of the learning programme; information about our community;
the business report incorporating HR, Admissions and the financial
statements for the College; and a summary of the activity in College
Advancement during the 2012–2013 academic year. The report includes
a large number of statistics that describe the breadth and depth of the
programme. A selection of those statistics is below.
The full report can be read online at www.uwcsea.edu.sg/AnnualReport.
If you would like a printed copy of the report, please contact Farhani Alias,
Communications and Marketing Assistant, on farhani.alias@uwcsea.edu.sg.
Annual Report highlights
Human resources
3,065
Applications received 63
Posts
advertised
Student teacher ratio
1 Teacher
10.7 Students :
Financials
Teachers salary and benefits – 63.4%
Educational support salary and benefits– 9.2%
Boarding salary and benefits – 1.3%
Administration salary and benefits – 6.0%
Educational resources – 4.1%
Marketing and Communications – 0.6%
Maintenance and operations – 5.4%
Boarding exp – 3.2%
Depreciation – 6.0%
Central admin – 0.8%
Dover Campus
expenditure
Teachers salary and benefits – 63.0%
Educational support salary and benefits – 10.4%
Boarding salary and benefits – 0.8%
Administration salary and benefits – 4.9%
Educational resources – 5.1%
Maintenance and operations – 8.8%
Boarding exp – 2.1%
Depreciation – 4.2%
Central admin – 0.3%
Marketing and Communications – 0.4%
East Campus
expenditure
Community
4,909
Students on both campuses
76
Nationalities
Overall Net Promoter Score for
College from parents
48.1%
15
Service
90
Global Concerns
across the College
24
College Service
programmes 46
Local Service
partners
$1,548,604
Total money raised by students for Global Concerns
IB Diploma results May 2013
Average IB Diploma score
29.9
Worldwide
36.45
UWCSEA
IB Diploma pass rate
78.5%
Worldwide
99.4%
UWCSEA
Percentage of students achieving
40+ points in IB Diploma
25.7%
UWCSEA
6.64%
Worldwide
2012
IB Diploma score comparison
42%
17.29%
35–39
24.5%
27.68%
30–34
5.3%
26.95%
24–29
0%
21.44%
<24
8.5%
43–45
1.61%
17.5%
40–42
5.03%
UWCSEA
Worldwide
317
Students
(I)GCSE results (May 2013)
%A*–C ISC
%A*–C UWCSEA
94.4
98.1
%A*–A ISC
%A*–A UWCSEA
60.4
73.2
%A* ISC**
%A* UWCSEA
32.0
41.5
%A*–C ISC
%A*–C UWCSEA
94.4
96.7
%A*–A ISC
%A*–A UWCSEA
60.4
70.4
%A* ISC**
%A* UWCSEA
32.0
36.2
Dover Campus
East Campus
Outdoor Education
22
Countries visited
500,000+
Student hours spent overseas each year
Activities
Representative sports
offered on both campuses
Badminton
Rugby (boys)
Basketball
Sailing
Climbing
Softball
Cross country
Swimming
Cricket (boys)
Tennis
Football
Touch (girls)
Gymnastics (girls) Track and Field
Hockey
Volleyball
Netball (girls)
**ISC: Independent Schools Council schools
16
by Tilson Crew
Mathematics Coach
East Campus
For the last two years, students in
the Primary School on East Campus
have been participating in Number
Talks. A Number Talk is a daily routine,
usually taking 5–15 minutes, that
helps students to develop fluency
with number. Through Number Talks,
students develop an understanding of
number relationships and structures,
allowing them to add, subtract, multiply
and divide—in their heads. While
developing number sense, students are
also learning key strategies that support
them in other areas of the mathematics
curriculum, and beyond.
During a Number Talk, students have
number conversations with a focus
on three main components: accuracy,
flexibility and efficiency. The teacher
presents a few problems for students
to choose from and solve mentally.
As students grapple with the
relationships between the numbers in
the problem, the operation involved,
and the connection to the Base 10
System, they attempt to solve the
problem accurately. After this ‘think
time’, students share their solutions.
After all solutions have been listed,
students justify their reasoning behind
the solutions.
This student justification of reasoning
is a powerful component of Number
Talks. During justification, students use
metacognition and communication to
walk their peers through the specific
strategy they chose to solve the
problem. Students listen to their peers,
and respond to the justification with
comments to confirm, clarify or dispute
the explanation. While students listen
to and explore their peers’ strategies,
they are demonstrating flexibility
and making meaningful connections.
At the same time, students pinpoint
misconceptions in their own thinking,
synthesise new information from
others, and adjust their own thinking to
improve learning.
Finally, towards the end of a Number
Talks session, the teacher guides the
strategy discussion towards efficiency.
This allows students to consider which
of the articulated strategies is the
most efficient strategy for the specific
problem. If students are going to
consider different alternatives, they
must go one step further to consider
the best alternative. When flexibility is
taught in conjunction with efficiency,
student reasoning grows to improve
critical thinking skills.
Number Talks encourage number sense,
which includes the understanding
of place value and the relationship
between numbers and operations. This
number sense improves proficiency in
all areas of mathematics. We see value
in students being more than accurate;
we also want them to be flexible
thinkers who can discern what is both a
reasonable and an efficient method for
solving a problem.
The process of participating in a
Number Talks session also allows
students to develop aspects of the
UWCSEA profile, including critical
thinking, communication, collaboration
and self-manager. Our goal is that
students will confidently apply their
mathematical understandings and skills
beyond the classroom. In the words
of Jaki Graham, Grade 3 teacher, “The
Number Talks sessions have impacted
positively on our classroom in many
ways. Students aren’t afraid to make
mistakes and the respect they show
for each other’s ideas carries over into
other collaborations in the classroom.”
Conversations about numbers
can lead to powerful learning
for students.
Conversations about numbers
17
Learning from assessment
Andrew McCarthy
Digital Literacy Coach
Dover Campus
Several recently published reports
in the United Kingdom including the
Nesta Report—Decoding Learning have
begun to establish clear frameworks for
how digital technologies can improve
education. These ideas provide the basis
of the Digital Literacy Coaches’ work at
both campuses.
The reports draw on a wide variety of
case studies on how technologies can
enhance learning; describing the ways
it is used, and how it can transform
practice. One of the eight effective
learning themes highlighted was the
concept of Learning from Assessment,
which is currently an important
strategic aim for UWCSEA. The
College’s work on formative assessment
has been supported by workshops with
Dylan Wiliam and ongoing teacher
professional development.
Formative assessment involves setting
up questions or activities that show
evidence of learning and consequently
providing meaningful feedback and
establishing new learning goals, often
in the form of ‘next steps’. Digital
technologies are now an ubiquitous
aspect of the learning environment
at UWCSEA, so in any classroom
teachers are able to display a poll on
the projector to check for
understanding or create a discussion
thread to encourage comment from
every student.
The Digital Literacy Team has mapped
areas where the use of technology
potentially amplifies or transforms
the practices of traditional formative
assessment. Recently this was part of
teachers’ professional development,
including the development of an
online resource, Digital Approaches to
Formative Assessment.
Effective questioning is a cornerstone
of eliciting evidence of understanding
in the classroom, where questions
drive instruction through a series of
well-designed and paced activities.
The introduction of online tools for
questioning, and especially software
that supports multi-choice questioning,
offers new options for our teachers
and transforms the way that the
formative assessment can occur. Online
tools provide feedback to teachers
visually within the flow of the lesson.
This has been an especially powerful
tool in Science to gauge learning at
turning points of the lesson. Polls
allow teachers to dissect patterns or
misconceptions in collective responses
and then direct or tweak future lessons.
Once an activity is complete, software
sends a list of student responses with
simple statistics and visual analytics.
This mixture of mid-activity feedback
and a record to refer to later, can
enhance the ways that teachers use the
evidence collected through questioning.
Teachers are beginning to see
opportunities to develop learning
tasks which focus on image and video
in contexts such as Primary Maths,
Economics and in Science. These
screencasting tasks elicit deeper levels
of student understanding, as they begin
to draw on the multimodal possibilities
of digital devices. The clearest example
of these learning tasks is around the
use of iPads. A range of screencasting
apps such as Educreations or Explain
Everything act as mini-whiteboards
which record narrations and actions
such as drawing and combine these
together as a video. In subjects such
as Mathematics these screencasts can
highlight process learning and pinpoint
areas where students clearly follow the
process of long division or where their
misconceptions have inadvertently led
to errors in the process of calculation.
Whilst writing tasks seems to be
the dominant medium in formative
assessment, the use of digital
technologies and especially online
collaborative tools have showcased new
ways to enhance formative assessment
practices. The power of feedback is
evident when students can clearly
identify how commenting supports
them to progress with their learning.
Online applications such as Google
Docs or Turnitin provide an online
platform to collect examples of student
written work. With a set of inbuilt
commenting tools, feedback can be
provided by either the teacher or, more
powerfully, by a set of trusted peers.
Firstly, the teacher can add comments
to particular phrases, outlining a
suggestion for improvement. Leveraging
the collaborative nature of Google
Docs, students can reply to seek further
clarification, make changes and later
resolve comments. This formative
assessment pedagogy is transformative
in several ways and supports the
development of the Reading and
Writing Workshop concepts in the
Primary and Middle School.
Digital technologies are providing a
rich range of opportunities for teachers
to delve deeper into students’ learning
to capture evidence of understanding.
Whilst the practice of questioning
and setting effective tasks is part of
each teacher’s everyday routine, the
use of digital tools is providing new
opportunities and amplifying the
effectiveness of our existing
best practice.
The role of digital technologies in supporting best practice in the classroom
18
By Ian Tymms
Head of Middle School English
East Campus
This style of learning will be familiar to
parents who have had children come
through the Primary School at East
Campus. The ‘Workshop’ approach uses
a combination of structured ‘mini-
lessons’ mixed with sustained periods
for students to write and conference
with their teacher and student partners.
At the heart of Workshop is the belief
that children want to write and that
writing instruction should be focused
and succinct leaving time for students
to apply and consolidate skills.
In Primary School, reading instruction
similarly focuses on particular skills and
emphasises building students’ reading
volume and stamina. The teacher’s key
objective is to help the students find
the right book for their reading ability
and interests and to keep them reading.
Learning in High School English classes
can look quite different. In High School
students will spend sustained periods of
time in whole class discussion around
one novel and teaching points will often
come organically from this discussion.
Writing becomes increasingly focused
on the essay form and feedback focuses
as much on students’ ideas as on the
craft of writing. This transition from
learning in Primary to High School is
sometimes described as the difference
between “learning to read and write and
reading and writing to learn.”
What should reading and
writing instruction look like in
the Middle School?
Middle School is, of course, in the
middle and we need to do a bit of both.
Middle School students have a very
particular set of developmental needs
and learning instruction needs both
to recognise what is unique to early
adolescence and also where students
are in their journey through the
curriculum. Over the past year, Middle
School English teachers have been
working with our colleagues in Primary
and High School to decide how best to
build on the success of the Workshop
approach in Primary School as we
prepare students for High School.
UWCSEA’s English Standards and
Benchmarks describe what we should
teach; our discussions have centred
on articulating how best to deliver
this curriculum. What has resulted
is a plan to extend the Columbia
University Workshop approach through
Middle School but with modifications
to meet the needs of our particular
circumstances at UWCSEA East. We
have been trialling many of the teaching
strategies from Workshop already and
parents will notice many similarities in
the way writing is taught between the
Primary and Middle Schools.
The big challenge in our planning has
been around reading. By Grade 6 or 7
students are classified as ‘independent’
readers, meaning that, whilst they need
guidance in their reading choices, they
don’t need the same kinds of support in
learning how to read.
A lot of our discussion has been about
how to encourage good independent
reading habits when the demands
on students’ time are increasing. The
establishment of a dedicated Middle
School section in the library has helped,
and we have also decided to establish
libraries in all Middle School English
classrooms. High School is exploring a
similar approach. The emphasis is on
maintaining stamina and engagement in
a wider range of novels to supplement
the class texts.
Reading and Writing Workshop
supports a rich environment for
learning; we believe it provides the best
foundation for building skilled, confident
and capable readers and writers—ready
to face the complex communication
challenges ahead of them.
Reading
and Writing
Workshop in
Middle School
at East
“Do you like the rhythm of this?” asks Ali,
as he turns to his partner.
“Yeah, but the mentor text is shorter,
maybe you could cut out a few words.”
The two boys look again at the lead
they’ve been using as a model: “There’s
no dignity in poverty.” They compare
their writing to the mentor text,
discussing what they’ve been learning
about meter and rhyme and the need
for a catchy phrase to help anchor their
audience’s attention. After a moment
more of discussion, they return to the
speeches they are writing as a part of the
Grade 6 Development Unit.
19
By Kate Levy
Head of High School English
East Campus
When the English Department put
out the request for people with
interesting stories to share during this
year’s Writers’ Fortnight, past parent
Debbie Fordyce offered us a unique
opportunity.
Mother of four children who attended
UWCSEA and volunteer at Singapore-
based NGO Transient Workers Count
Too (TWC2), Debbie and her colleagues
gave the Grade 9 students a rare insight
to the lives of transient workers here
in Singapore.
Writers’ Fortnight, now in its third
year on East Campus, invites writers
and journalists to speak with students
about their experiences and to provide
guidance and suggestions on how
to improve their writing. During the
two weeks, students are given writing
assignments that they develop with the
insights shared by the visiting writers.
The participation of TWC2 this January
offered a unique opportunity for
students to develop their journalism
skills. Following a presentation that
shared some hard-hitting facts about
the backgrounds, working conditions
and limited rights of migrant workers,
the students got the chance to
interview three of the 20 workers that
had volunteered to share their stories.
English teacher, Gemma Markham
said, “We walk past people like Imran
everyday, so to hear a voice from a
usually silenced community, and to
learn things about these individuals’
lives and be able to begin to empathise,
was eye-opening for teachers and
students alike.”
Many students were visibly moved
as they learned about the difficulties
endured by their guests. From the
frightening costs of simply getting to
Singapore to the appalling treatment of
accidents in the workplace, the students
learned more about those who live and
work alongside us everyday.
Grade 9 student Rohan Ahuja said,
“I learnt that these are men who have
come to Singapore with great hopes
for a better future, but little is done
for them. We’re all migrant workers,
but the difference in how they’re
treated for their different work permit
is horrifying.”
Another student, Chin Yew Yeoh,
stated, “I hadn’t understood that many
migrant workers are educated middle
class individuals who come to Singapore
only to be perceived and treated merely
as domestic workers. It was quite
shocking to discover this.”
“Personally I felt quite humbled—in
awe of the resilience of the men we
met, and their positivity in spite of the
difficulties, sometimes tragedy, of their
circumstances,” said English teacher
Danielle Townend.
It was also an opportunity to connect
diverse lives. In some classrooms,
students helped to translate for the
workers during the Q&A sessions.
Many students continued to ask
questions well beyond the allotted
time, some staying behind to continue
conversations and walk our guests
to lunch.
Several Grade 9 students went beyond
the brief of the journalism assignment,
taking the time to speak to construction
workers outside of school. Dhanya
Nageswaran visited dormitories to find
out more about the lives of foreign
workers, resulting in an article that
has since been published in India Se
magazine.
As one student wrote in their feedback
about Writers’ Fortnight, “I would like
to thank the migrant workers who
made the time to come and visit us.
I hope they are compensated for all
they have gone through.”
Special thanks also to Debbie,
Pat, Christine and the many other
volunteers at TWC2 who took the time
to organise the visit.
The feature articles produced by
Grade 9 were also shared later in the
term with the Grade 6 students as a
contribution to their Development Unit.
To read Dhanya Nageswaran’s
article, first published in
India Se magazine, please
visit eDunia.
Transient workers inspire student writers
20
By Cathy Elliott
Head of Local Service, Senior School
Dover Campus
On Saturday, 18 January some 60 Grade
11 students attended a morning of service
skills training on Dover Campus, intended
to help them with ideas for meaningful
interaction in their partner organisation
to be visited in Project Week in March.
Students rotated around three sessions,
two of which focused on non-verbal
communication and how to choose and
read books to young children. The third
session tied in with the reading, where
students learned how to make puppets
out of a variety of materials, to support
the story.
The session run by creative arts therapist
Caroline Essame focused on how to run
groups that are non-language based,
providing an overview on planning the
session using non-verbal communication
and creative tools appropriate to
the audience.
A service in service of service
Each year a group of Grade 9 students make a year-long commitment to their
College Service by joining the Art Service activity group as mentors
and project leaders. Throughout the year, in each activity season, they are
joined by 24 new students in Grade 3, 4 and 5 who sign up as part of the
Activities programme.
At the start of the year, using a predetermined theme, the students and
teachers discuss and plan their projects, considering colours, ideas, materials,
and sizes, and allocate tasks. Guided by Primary Art teachers Sian Johns
and Caroline Sebunya, the Art Service project culminates in Term 2 with an
auction of the artwork produced throughout the year.
With about 10 projects on the go at any one time, each week the group
examines their progress and looks at who can assist with the next steps.
Some students like to see one piece through to the end, while others like to
contribute on them all.
“It always amazes me the time and effort that the children put into the pieces
knowing that they will not get to take them home as they do in art lessons.
Its art because they love to create rather than having an end product. Often
a season finishes and they don’t get to see the finished piece until it is hung in
the auction,” said Sian Johns, Primary School Art teacher.
This year, the project raised $6,924 and this money goes directly to the Local
Service projects that the College supports. Cathy Elliott, Head of Local Service
in the Senior School will coordinate this, by requesting a wish list from our
Service partners for things that they really need.
Thanks to the community who support the Art Service Auction so generously
every year, and by doing so support our students and our community.
Service skills for Project Week
Language ‘teaching’ was the subject
of the second session, run by educator
Michele Ni Laitheasa, and focused on
planning simple activities to teach English
including examining rhymes and music,
selecting picture and story books, as
well as ideas for creating visual aids and
support materials to use in classes. The
session also took the students though
simple lesson planning and teaching tips.
The final session was based on craft
activities—helping students to
create fun props for lessons, or to
plan what to make with the groups they
will visit.
The sessions were highly interactive and
enjoyed by all—one student expressed
delight with rediscovering their ‘inner
child.’ It is hoped that students will
realise what a difference can be made to
a visit or lesson through some thought
and planning, and taking along a bag of
materials for props.
We would like to thank Caroline Essame
and Michele Ni Laitheasa for giving up
their time to work with our students.
Photo by Kate Lewis