I had the pleasure, last week, of visiting Sydney and Melbourne, Australia. More importantly, I had the pleasure of meeting the people of Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, which included TCS alumni, a former faculty member, as well as local educators, administrators, students and parents, to talk about “the state of education” from the opposite side of the world.

It was fascinating on many fronts.

There is always something to learn when you visit different schools and talk about educational issues. Of course, schools, in general, tend to have more aspects in common than not, but it’s those “small” differences that make each school community unique.

There were many takeaways from my visits and meetings – some of which I will share at a future date. However, to give you an idea of the Australian educational landscape, I share a few of what I feel to be very interesting facts about independent schools “down under.”

While I am finding it hard to get exact numbers, there are estimates that at least 30% of kids in Australia attend private or independent schools in Sydney; this is compared to approximately 8% of kids in Canada. There are over 500 private schools in Sydney alone. More than 50 schools are single gender schools. With plenty of experience with independent education, there was a great deal in common to talk about with my fellow educators. Again, more on this in future blogs.

In addition to meeting with Australian educators, one of the highlights of the trip was visiting a former TCS faculty member, Andrew Gregg, in Melbourne. Andrew was a visual arts teacher, housemaster, coach, mentor…you name it! But art was, and is, his true passion. Over his 33 years at TCS, he led art trips the world over and truly spurred on and then elevated the importance of the arts at TCS back in the 1980s – at a time when there was a high focus on sports.

When Andrew left the Art Gallery of Ontario to come teach at Trinity College School, he brought the belief that “a well-rounded complete education always included choice and the arts.” He continued, “In 1980, TCS had no drama department or full credit music department…I dreamed of a school orchestra and the production of demanding plays and choral music. There was no theatre until LeVan Hall was built.” Considering the growth in the arts program and offerings that have taken place at the School over the past several decades, Andrew remarked, “Look at the amazing choices available in today’s TCS. A production of Hamlet has just taken place!”

On this one particular night, I had the pleasure of having dinner with Andrew and with his wife, Janice (also a phenomenal retired teacher) and their son, Julian ’04 and his wife Kristal, in Melbourne. Truthfully, seeing Andrew (and his family) was a highlight of my trip because of his many reflections about his time at TCS. I also asked him to share what advice – as a past TCS parent and retired TCS faculty member – he had for current parents and students. Here is what he shared: “Parents, make sure your kids are not doing too much. Less can really be more.” And for our students: “Keep a balance. Read widely. Learn the difference between ‘smart’ and ‘wise.’ Show the love in what you do. Turn your phone off. Sing!”

Andrew and Janice’s three children attended TCS in the late 1990s/early 2000s. When I asked what he felt his children learned while students at the School, he responded: “My kids learned the meaning of dedicated hard work and its benefits. They learned to be responsible. They learned how to get on with people and cooperate. They learned to juggle many demands at once.” I then went on to ask Andrew what he thinks will be the biggest challenges for schools in the future, to which he offered: “Schools like TCS must foreground the importance of producing articulate, courageous and ethically-educated students. And this can be done most effectively with a strong background in the humanities.”

Not afraid to advocate for what he believes in, a talented educator and a gifted artist in his own right, Andrew is truly one of a kind. He was instrumental in changing life’s direction for countless kids who believe him to be the best teacher they ever had. Indeed, the School was fortunate to have him in its employ.

“Upon my retirement from TCS I had one big realisation: how grateful and thankful I felt,” said Andrew. “Like a student, I’d taken up opportunity and [was] encouraged to run with it. I left with no mixed emotions.”

I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and Andrew’s insightful comments related to TCS and education in general. Now nearly 10 years into his retirement from the School on the Hill, I was so glad to hear that TCS still has a firm hold on his heart.