From school thenews Head
In October, we enjoyed catching up with many OPs and Friends in Hong Kong and Singapore. Thanks to Somerton Sio (2006), Ernest Tsui (1986) and Alan Cheung (1995) for hosting
From the Head
I
History shows The Perse has survived worse –
am delighted that history is a focus for this edition of OP News. Although a geographer by degree
from the English Civil War and bubonic plague in the
I regard myself as a ‘closet historian’, and these
seventeenth century, to near bankruptcy and Luftwaffe bombs in the twentieth century.
days my teaching is limited to a Local Studies course
Necessity is the mother of invention, and as we
where I minibus Year 7 (first form) pupils around Cambridgeshire’s historic sites, including the Roman
face uncertain times in the UK we are expanding
Road, the ‘pyramids’ at Bartlow, Devil’s Dyke, and the
overseas. Perse schools in Suzhou and Singapore will
deserted medieval village at Castle Camps.
extend our educational reach and provide benefits for children both overseas and in Cambridge. For pupils in
Children must study history because it teaches them perspective, and perspective is something that
Asia there will be the chance to access a world-class
young people lack, as it comes with life experience.
liberal education, whilst for students in Cambridge
Today’s pupils exposed to a media diet of global
there will be new exchange and cross cultural learning opportunities. And importantly when
warming, political scandal and economic uncertainty
Perse UK could be facing political and
can get anxious and depressed about their futures. The perspective of history is a very helpful antidote for
economic hardships, Perse overseas
such teenage angst. For in many cases it was worse in
will provide much needed funds to finance bursaries, outreach, capital
the past and we did survive and even thrive.
improvements, and to keep a downward
This is something I have to remind myself as
pressure on fee increases to help
politicians of all colours attack independent
preserve affordability.
schools and threaten us with anything from loss of charitable status and VAT
With best wishes, Ed Elliott
on fees, to full-scale abolition and redistribution of assets. 3
