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5,495 characters, exactly as storedWe welcome back boys to what should be a happy and involved term of school. Quite obviously, Half Yearly results place boys in a good position of knowing where strengths lie and in which subjects added efforts might be best directed. The months of January and February are key in this regard and getting off to a good start means aiming for 100% attendance. I have written extensively on the matter of external tutors for senior boys and, once more, reinforce that IGCSE and A Levels are not rote exercises. Both require teaching and direction from staff trained in Cambridge, which incorporates targeted questions and paper analysis. Once school is bypassed or devalued, it is very difficult to get momentum back. Boys need to work with teachers and build a relationship that helps individual communication. The experiences boys also gain from a classroom involving group discussion is vital for academics and personal growth. This applies to all levels of schooling.In the last senior examination session, we had the most unfortunate situation of several boys resorting to 'cheating.' Ample verbal and written warnings of the consequences of examination malpractice were made abundantly clear. Boys who cheat in examinations have no place at Aitchison. The College's outstanding reputation among worldwide universities results from us being valued as a trustworthy and rigorous academic institution. In the case of malpractice in a Cambridge examination the penalty (from Cambridge) is three years' exclusion. Aside from penalties, every boy has the right to feel that he is being assessed on an equal and fair footing. The College Code of Honour is non-negotiable. If a boy is struggling in studies but shows he is trying hard through classroom effort and general school engagement, we will do whatever we can to help him. Parents should know that our primary aim is to help boys graduate from this college and take with them the inestimable benefits of the Aitchison experience. Boys should not be measured by grades alone. However, boys who are at serious academic risk or on probation and who deliberately avoid school engagement have little to make a case for exceptional support. They are also in breach of enrolment conditions. By enrolling at Aitchison, parents are supporting a broad education and recognising, as we do, that what happens outside a classroom is equally important in developing the whole person. The cohort we admit each year is expected to support this educational philosophy for both personal and school betterments. Aitchison's subject offerings in senior years are made very clear, as are the maximum number of subjects a boy is permitted to study in national or international options. We do not recognise external subjects on our transcripts and set in place limits in the expectation that a boy's time is geared to a whole school program at Aitchison. This approach fits neatly into what normally emerges as excellent school resumes and recommendations for university placements -for those boys who follow the rules. Naturally, exceptions will be made for national and provincial commitments in sport and other exceptional pursuits, but school should always be the focus and exceptions to the rule discussed with the relevant Head of School. Boys may now choose between Cambridge and Aga Khan curriculum, once they reach C1. We only offer the subjects listed in our annual Academic Handbook. IGCSE has been a remarkable success underpinning outstanding A Level results in recent years. However, parents new to Senior School will discover the greater demands placed on boys moving from M2 to C1 and C2 to H1. These demands relate to maturity as much as academics. There are no shortcuts or easy options; patience and application are needed from all parties concerned. This is why the entire schooling process is so essential for your son. In my experience, boys who attend school less than 80% struggle or underperform. As a boy journeys through school, he should be building the inner-confidence to pursue help when needed -on his own. The more familiar a boy is with his surrounds and the people in it, the more likely he will be to seek help and benefit from that exchange. This takes time and 'school avoidance' is the great enemy. As a parent, I strongly advise you to empower your son to take up this task from a young age. We are promoting this in our classrooms and boarding houses and the responses from teachers will always be positive and compassionate. I appreciate that we have endured difficult environmental times of late and as parents we seek to protect our children from failure and perceived harm. However, returning to the issue of external tutors, we can sometimes over-protect and, in doing so, 'rob' our boys of the power to engage with life and face up to problems that can be solved through forming the right relationship with school. This is an essential component of a true education. We are approaching Term 2 in the same cautious fashion, but will continue to offer sports and co-curricular pursuits in sensible ways, as we did last term. Boys need balance in their lives as well as companionship. Masks and spacing will be re-emphasised. The effects of Omicron, at this stage, appear less severe and worrisome, although it is more easily transmitted. As usual, we will follow government advice and rulings on such matters. All boarders will return to houses. May you also enjoy your son's second term and his exciting days at school.