The Week Ahead 30 April 2021

Dear parents

I have recently been enjoying Lin Yutang's The Importance of Living. Although the book itself is well over 80 years old, the timeless insights and wisdom of the author are evident on every page. His playful reflections on China, its people, stories and traditions are beautifully rendered in prose, and the sensation of reading even a short chapter is akin to the pleasure of sipping a fine cup of Longjing tea: refreshing and soothing in equal measure.

His writing is shot through with self-deprecating humour. No reader could fail to be charmed by his description of himself as "studying philosophy – the incorrect way" because he focuses not on the great philosophers but the life and people around him. He is inspired by, among others, a Mrs Huang, who "has all the ideas that go into the breeding of a good woman in China", as well as a foul-mouthed Suzhou boat woman, his cook's wife and even a squirrel in Central Park in New York.

He makes enormous claims for the importance of a sense of humour, even going so far as to claim that "Germany lost the [First World] War because [Kaiser] Wilhelm Hohenzollern did not know when to laugh, or what to laugh at." In stressing the importance of humour, Lin Yutang champions the cause of those people he describes as "the scamp…wayward, incalculable, unpredictable free individuals" as a counterpoint to the "patriotic automatons" he saw around him. Of course, a part of this was deliberately provocative, but he goes on to argue that the contrariness of the scamp is a sign of our humanity, marking us out as different to the "cows" who go to the slaughterhouse without protest. Scamps, by contrast, militate at the mechanisation of modern living.

Why is this a suitable theme for my Week Ahead piece? I am not advocating for wayward children, each one answering only to themselves. Schools rarely seek to foster such anarchic pupils. I think that Lin Yutang's tongue-in-cheek message does resonate in his defence of individuality and independence, though. These are two of our core Wellington identities, and we do much to foster such a spirit here in the school. At our recent Festival of Education day on 17th April, two of our staff, Megan Gater and Madeline Churchill, used their sessions to focus on how we as a school are helping to develop pupil independence and creativity in their learning. These are essential skills in school children, but they are also much sought-after skills in the workplace. I suspect Lin Yutang would have approved of the way Steve Jobs' disruptive brand of leadership, for example, helped to establish Apple as a global leader in technology - although he may equally have abhorred the fanatical work ethic that accompanied this success. By thinking and acting creatively, such leaders embrace difference and see the unorthodox as entirely natural. Young people who are encouraged to experiment with their learning, as even our youngest pupils in the Nest are discovering, find they can open limitless doors to the world around them. Creative thinking and independence are not readily accessible without the support and guidance of teachers. Still, they can be fostered in the right environment, and Wellington seeks to offer just such opportunities to all its pupils.

Man, in the view of Lin Yutang, "is a curious, dreamy, humorous and wayward creature". By tapping into that spirit, we seek to foster the sort of curious and thoughtful young people who will go on to enrich the world with their talents and humanity.   

Best wishes

Julian Jeffrey
MASTER

Duke of Wellington Room (MB109)
1400hrs-1500hrs, Thursday
6th May

This week's Meet the Master slot is open to parents of pupils in the years 12 and 13. If you would like to attend, please confirm via e-mail with Ms Emma Shi (emma.shi@wellingtoncollege.cn) by Wednesday 05th May. Of course, parents of pupil in any age group are more than welcome to join as well.