I REFER to two recent letters in these columns concerning Island School. One, from Sylvia Kwan (South China Morning Post, February 21) was critical of the school. The other, from a student, listed its achievements.
Neither, in my view, was an objective appraisal of the school's merits, and as the only student mentioned by name in any of the correspondence that has taken place, I write to put in my twopenny worth.
Ms Kwan told us that she had seen Island School students smoking and using foul language. Personally, I wish we were a school of non-smokers, and I do not condone such behaviour for a minute. What she has apparently failed to realise is that she could, if she had nothing better to do, hang around any secondary school in the territory (or indeed the world!) and witness such behaviour.
It is a sad fact of life, but it is no more or less prevalent among the students of our school than anywhere else, and to imply otherwise is unfair to Island School. On balance, I believe Island School is a good school - we consistently achieve excellence in sporting and academic areas, and regularly send students to the very top universities in the UK and the US. This year, we also donated almost a quarter of a million dollars to underprivileged local children to further their education.
But to simply reel off its achievements in the manner of the letter of March 1 is similarly biased. Like any institution, there is room for improvement at the school. Island School is run along what are generally considered within the school to be overly conservative lines. Some students do indeed smoke or swear. Elements of sexism exist in the rules of the school. It is not a perfect school, and to pretend that these and other shortcomings do not exist would be silly.
Above all, however, there is a feeling that Island School is treated unfairly by the media both inside and outside the letters columns.
