ROUND SQUARE

The Round Square organisation is a global network of over 200 like-minded schools that share a commitment to the educational principles of Dr Kurt Hahn (1886-1974).

Kurt Hahn was a remarkable educator who founded Salem School in Germany to develop young people whose convictions would be rooted in personal responsibility, kindness and justice. Such ideals were in direct conflict with the rise of Fascism and Nazism in Germany in the 1930s and Hahn was forced to escape to Scotland where he founded Gordonstoun School in 1934.

Hahn saw the entire program of a school - curriculum, daily routines, disciplines, social life, and extra-curricular activities – as merely a vehicle through which young people could be trained to take charge of their lives, raise their sights and grasp the central principles of democratic life. As such, the central goal of first Salem and then Gordonstoun was not simply to “prepare” students for tertiary study or work but also to prepare them for life by facing life directly, in ways that would demand courage, generosity, imagination, principle and resolution. Students were not only expected to do well in conventional ways, but also to serve and to lead.

By the 1960s, there were schools in Europe pursuing the educational ideals of Kurt Hahn. Regular meetings were held and in 1967 it was suggested that the group form an organization called the Hahn Schools. Hahn vigorously opposed the idea of calling the organisation after himself. The organisation decided to call itself after the building at Gordonstoun in which its founders met - “Round Square”.

Schools of the Round Square all share consistent principles and priorities. These are the “pillars” of Round Square:

• Students devote s ubstantial time and energy to service of others

• Students’ leaders hip roles are substantial and kindness towards others within the School community matters

• Students are challenged and powerfully engaged by outdoor activities which promote personal development

• Students are as ked to look beyond gender, class, race, nationality and culture to understand the common values between people

• Students are en couraged through projects, programs and curricula to see their destiny as caretakers of society and the environment.

The acronym “IDEALS” summarises the Round Square philosophy:

I: International a wareness

D: Democracy

E: Environmentalism

A: Adventure

L: Leadership

S: Service

We promote t he Round Square IDEALS in many ways and all students are able to take up a number of leadership opportunities such, as:

• Student leaders hip in many areas of school life

• Service activit ies within the School or as part of international service projects

• Outdoor Educat ion and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme

• Regional and Inte rnational exchanges to other Round Square schools

• Representing B allarat Grammar at the annual Round Square Conferences

• Involvement in t he Round Square Committee

• Social and class links with other Round Square schools via e-mail and joint projects

To find out more about Round Square activities and other Round Square schools please refer to the Round Square web page: www.roundsquare.org