XN000022-1980-01-17 — Page 14

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I believe that your Headmistress and your staff will have taught

you much about leaders and leadership in the contemporary world. Their team

work, their inspiring example should guide you. The world outside is a great

deal less well-organised than the smaller world in here, I am sorry to tell

you, but the disciplines you have learnt here will help you make your mark

out there. You have learned to work hard and to play hard. Your books are

full of knowledge; and I know that your teachers have taught you that what is

important is not so much what you know but how you know it. The many extra-

curricular activities which are open to you will also have taught you that

knowledge is something rather more than book learning, important though

this is. Getting on with people is at least as important as getting on

with History or Geography or English or Mathematics. Serving your school

and your school mates is as important as serving your community.

Now I speak to the prize-winners and equally to those who did

not win prizes. I have just pointed to the fact that not everybody can be

first, second or third. Nor can anyone be first, second or third all their

lives all the time. The important thing is to work hard, to do your best:

I am sure all of you have done that. Of course, the prize-winners deserve

special congratulations but I am sure they will be the first to admit that

what they have got most from the school is not only a prize or a certificate.

They have had the opportunity to learn that hard work is its own reward.

Every one of you is well aware, I know, that you are privileged to be a part

of DGS.

Today, Mrs Symons has mentioned especially the Government's

intention that our whole education system should be reviewed in 1981:

I regard this as being of particular importance and would like to comment

.briefly on it. Of course,

we are all familiar are we not? with the

many and various Green and White Papers which have been produced over the

past few years! we have reviewed, debated at great length, and adopted

/development.....