Snippet from Xavier College run by Brothers of St Gabriels in Fiji

EDUCATION - Prefects embody the best in student qualities
17-Feb-2009
http://fijidailypost.com/feature.php?date=20090217&index=736

Address by FILIPE BOLE Interim Minister for Education at the Prefects’ Investiture Ceremony, Xavier College, at 11.00am on Friday, February 13, 2009.


I am deeply honoured to be joining you all on this special day, to commission a number of very special students, who will, no doubt, be expected to uphold the ideals of this exemplary institution.

And firstly, may i heartily congratulate the prefects and their families for the appointments that will be officially conferred on you today.

I understand that the nomination and selection process here is quite rigorous, and you all should be justifiably proud of your appointment.

Your nomination as prefects of Xavier College, is a milestone achievement, and i have no doubts at all that your parents and your families are immensely proud of you today.

Furthermore, I am sure that the whole Xavier community is thoroughly delighted and take much pride and absolute enjoyment, in seeing you rise to leadership positions in this great school.

The great leader:

Ladies and gentlemen, more than 2,600 years ago, the famous Chinese sage, Lao Tzo, wrote what is known as the Tao Te Ching, a classic piece of literature that outlined leadership qualities and integrity.

Leadership, according to the ancient sage involved humility, generosity, empathy, and even a dash of spontaneity. In over two thousand years since then, many would argue that very little has changed.

And today, I wish to remind the 2009 prefects of Xavier College, that the best way to approach your leadership role is by being humble, generous, being full of empathy, and by being spontaneous when the need arises.

The term “prefect’ is derived from the Latin word “praefectus”, which literally means “put in front” or “put in charge”.

And for the popular roman army, the prefects were the front line troops.

For those of you who have been selected as prefects, it would be remiss of me not to remind you that immediately after your investiture, you will begin with a new set of challenges, and from here on, you are expected to form the front line, in all matters related to this school.

While times have changed, entering the realm of student leadership remains both a challenge and an honour.

Prefects are expected to embody the best in student qualities, that the school has to offer. You will, no doubt play a major role in building up this school as it aspires to better academic greatness.

You will, as of today play a major role in strengthening the unique characteristics of Xavier College, as it asserts its values and priorities. For many of the prefects, this will be your first exposure to leadership.

It will likely be the first in a lifelong journey of leadership – something Xavier College students are known for – a tradition, i hope all of you will carry on in humility in line with the charisma of this institution.

Over the years, the concept of leadership has gained a lot of attention for academic and practical analysis. Models such as “transformational leadership”, “servant-leadership”, “authentic leadership”, to name a few, have been vigorously debated upon.

The leader-subordinate relationship:

But ironically, there seems to be very little on the role of subordinates. After all, without the subordinates, the leaders will have no one to lead.

And in a school such as Xavier College, where the population is slightly over 700 students - and the student body made up of 18 prefects - on average, each prefect is expected to be in charge of about 40 subordinates.

I definitely do not envy you for your job!

Ladies and gentlemen, while we can argue about what makes a good leader, it is perhaps just as important to know what makes a good subordinate, and what ingredients make an effective leader-subordinate relationship, eventually develop into greatness.

I am of the opinion that the key lies in a reciprocal-exchange relationship. Over the course of the year, both sides will need to develop a healthy leader-subordinate relationship.

And the foundation of this relationship, I am deeply convinced lies in higher levels of trust. In all human relationships, trust is extremely important, and as many of us are aware, a very important variable in developing trust are our individual personality traits.

Be reminded that despite our different personalities, in order for a leader-subordinate, or prefect-student relationship to flourish, our differing personalities must be nurtured to snap into place, like a well-constructed jigsaw.

Having said that, I am convinced that this college, has very successfully achieved such a relationship amongst its stakeholders. The successes of Xavier College, speak volumes of the commitment and dedication of those who have been part of this school over the years.

The Columban Fathers who established the school in 1953 prepared a firm and credible foundation, I am sure. The Montfort Brothers of St Gabriel, who took over the reins in 1988, have taken the school to such great heights.

Scoring 100 per cent pass, over the last 20 years for FJC, and 100 per cent pass in FSLC for the fifth consecutive year, is no mean feat.

I am told the school has also managed to score a 100 per cent pass for four years in a row for Form Seven. You certainly deserve to celebrate your achievements.

But before we begin that celebration, it is only fitting that I conclude with a final word of advice to the special people in whose honour we are all gathered here.

To the 2009 prefects of Xavier College, as you begin your first day as commissioned leaders, the demands placed on you will require you to think in an open and collaborative way. My advice to you is to always work to make a difference - each day -
having no regrets.

Secondly – learn to embrace change.

I am told that the school’s theme for the year is “change for the better”. Indeed, I would think that the position of prefect provides a marvellous opportunity to change many things and many students for the better. In consultation with your teachers, you must learn to embrace change, to shape it, to create new changes constantly.

Thirdly, I strongly recommend that you to take the Hippocratic Oath of doing no harm to anyone. I encourage you to do more than that, of course.

But if that’s all everyone did everyday – just getting the base right – what a great world this would be!

On a specific and practical level, one activity that most prefects spend a lot of their time doing is talking. They give out instructions, they reiterate the school rules, they remind students of good behaviour, and they stand in for the teachers, when teachers are
not around.

And for this reason, school prefects need to understand that they will have to be very careful with what they say. The inspirational Mother Theresa once said “kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” Wonderful words of wisdom!

And finally, I urge you all to keep your senses. Keep your sense of balance. Today you have an additional role to play.

In this life, the roles we play are certain to conflict at times.

You are subordinate to your teachers, you are leaders to your colleagues, you are a student of the school, a son or a daughter at home. Harness the skills to strike the proper balance.

Secondly, keep your sense of identity. Your sense of getting to know the inner “you”.

While there are times when you must let go to grow, you must never let go of who you
really are, where you came from, and what you believe in. This is so vitally important.

Keep your feet firmly rooted to the ground, and never ever let the additional power that comes with the position, detract you from the core values and virtues that make you a good person.

Your selection as prefect is proof of your existing good qualities. Remain humble, be vigilant and most importantly just be yourself.

Finally, by all means, keep your sense of humour.

A successful leader, once said that “in the whole scheme of things, humour is our only tie breaker. It is our ultimate sanity check. It is the only thing separating us from other mammals roaming the earth”.

I couldn’t agree more. So hold on tightly to your sense of humour. I applaud you for your decision to serve this school and the community.

And I know you are fully prepared. Indeed, I applaud your courage, and i share your optimism.

Finally, to Brother George and the whole Xavier community, thank you for having me here, and I wish the school, the very best that this year has to offer.