Ref. No. P- 1536

Re: Towards a Greener, Safer and More Sustainable Aitchison Campus

Dear Parents,

I am writing to share with you the thought behind a recent change to the movement of vehicles within the College campus.

As part of our continuing efforts to make Aitchison College a greener, safer and more sustainable environment for our boys, we have recently experimented with the closure of one of the College gates (Main gate) to vehicular traffic at the school opening and closing hours. The staggered timings across the Junior, Prep and Senior Schools during the first week were introduced in support of this initiative and to help us assess its practical implications.

The underlying objective is straightforward: to make the inner campus of Aitchison increasingly car-free, while restricting vehicular movement as far as possible to the periphery of the College.

There are several important reasons for this.

First, the environment. Aitchison is fortunate to possess a unique historic campus, including its beautiful nineteenth-century buildings, old trees and lush green playing fields. Vehicular emissions, particularly from cars moving through the heart of the campus, have an impact on both the quality of the environment and, over time, the facade and structure of our historic old building. Reducing unnecessary vehicle movement is therefore an important part of our responsibility to preserve this heritage for future generations.

Second, the safety of our boys. Our Prep and Senior School boys, including those living in the boarding houses, regularly move across areas of the campus where vehicles have traditionally passed through. While the vast majority of drivers exercise care, vehicles moving through the College can, at times, travel faster than is appropriate for a pedestrian environment. We believe that the safest campus is one in which our boys can move freely without having to negotiate regular vehicular traffic.

Third, our wider commitment to a greener Aitchison. Over recent years, we have taken a number of steps towards making the College more environmentally responsible. Most significantly, we have planted approximately 7,000 additional trees in the form of Miyawaki forests around the campus. We have also sought to reduce the number of individual cars entering the College by incentivising carpooling. In addition, we have introduced new, air-conditioned buses and coaches to provide a comfortable alternative for boys and encourage greater use of College transport.

The restriction of vehicles within the inner sanctum of Aitchison is therefore not an isolated measure. It forms part of a broader vision: a campus that is greener, quieter, safer and more conducive to the education and wellbeing of our boys.

We recognise that any change to established routines can initially cause some inconvenience, and we are grateful to parents for their patience and cooperation as we have tested these arrangements. The first week has been, in this respect, an experiment from which we have learnt a great deal. We will continue to review the arrangements carefully and make adjustments where necessary to ensure that they work effectively for our families while remaining true to the larger objective.

Ultimately, we want our boys to experience Aitchison not simply as a place where they attend school, but as a beautiful and protected environment in which they can walk, play, learn and grow. Creating a predominantly car-free inner campus is an important step towards that vision.

I thank you for your understanding, patience and continued support as we work together to make Aitchison a safer, greener and more sustainable College for our boys and for generations to come.

With warm regards,

 

Dr. S.M. Turab Hussain
Principal