Headline Oct 05, 2014/

''' A GREAT SCHOOL FLOWERS '''

PAKISTAN, EGYPT, MOROCCO,  and on and on, - may well be looking destiny in the eye.

The people of these countries may well prefer politicians who have clear principles. And the world is right to note that leaders from every country, do indeed ''trim their sails''-

 To the changing winds to steer a steady course.  

THE TRUTH and many a fact is,  -that a great winds of change, have begun to blow as a sweet breeze: 

Education and educating the world, must light up and lead the way. 

Assured, in effect,  of all the freedoms of a private school save over admissions, GFS's originators, a trio of concerned Londoners are, selected  Shooter's Hill as an area of great need, then set about designing the perfect school.

For this they visited schools in Sweden and America, where similar reforms are long-standing, and across Britain.

They then rewrote the national curriculum.

A class on computer skills was dropped in favour of computer programming; citizenship was replaced by politics, philosophy and economics   - a course associated with Oxford University:

Which is where many of   GFS's pupils say they intend to study.

They also lengthened the school day by fully three hours. 

In their seven years at the school, Mr Faith estimates, his pupils will therefore have the equivalent of two-extra years of teaching.

When Mr Gove claims the principle behind the  landmark  reform is a good one, he must be applauded.

When his opponents in the Labour Party   -though they launched a precursor scheme-   pour scorn on that, they must be derided.

This reform is a brave, and quite possibly  brilliant., efforts to shape one of Briton's most important and too often feeble sectors. There is little doubt that  GFS   will remain an excellent school.

Yet how scalable   -for this is the big uncertainty over Mr Gove's reform   -is its success.

A matter of excellence, for sure.    

It cannot be replicated everywhere. Inner-city Londoners are deceptive,  though poor, many are highly motivated immigrants.

The school's founders are also outstanding. 

One Tom Shinner,  is a 28 year-old former management consultant who gave up a career at McKinsey to teach in tough schools.

Why?  ''EIT, maybe something to do with idealism,'' he mumbles.

It is thick on the ground among  GFS's  highly-qualified staff  -even the school secretary has an  Oxford degree.

Yet  GFS is providing a useful example for other schools. Emissaries from several have inquired about the longer school day. If the government wishes to, they would also create more schools on the same lines.

It will take a while, for the competition this engenders could eventually help raise standards everywhere.

Meanwhile, it is important not to lose sight of quite why  GFS  is such a good school, it is because of the pride, in their school and in themselves, that has persuaded a crowd of of unruly  11-year olds to put up with a lot of fussy strictures and work hard.

And that has roots in a determined belief, manifest in everything they do that all of them can,  and should,  achieve excellence, no matter who is paying for their meals.

So, the leaders will do well to remember, that if one is sailing too close to the wind, the  ship will lose speed and may eventually become steerless.

Hopefully, the fact is not lost on shrewd leaders.

For, if Muhammed Morsi had adjusted his felucca to the prevailing conditions in Egypt, the world would not now be thinking rueful thoughts about that country's, and even other countries  tragedies.

So, as you, the readers go through the   ''joy of  reading'' , and now know that a great school has flowered:

Whom would you like to thank?

With great love and honour for:

O''Captain Imran Khan:

Dr M Jawad Khan, Amin Malk/ USA. Hammad Khan,UK.

Masood Reza, Imran Basit, Shahid Shakoor, Hashir Jan, Pakistan.

Fahim Khan/Egypt. Amjad, Tanveer Iqbal, Rohail Khan,  Naveed Iqbal/ Kaleem Khan, Imran Khan, Imran Bokhari, Zubair. 

Mariam, Rabo, Dee, Malala, Saima, Hussain, Aneela, Ali, Ehsan, Shaziab, Salar, Paras, Sorat, Anne, Anum, Mudasis, Aqsa, Saad, Haider, Mustafa, Ibrahim, Eman, Hannyia, Meriam, Zaeem, Hamza, Sanyia,  Hazeem, Danyial, Rahym, Armeen, Mayna, Reza, Ghazi, Tooba, Bilal.Fatimah, Nayab, Anique, Ayma

With respectful dedication to the Students, Professors and Teachers of the world. See Ya all on !WOW!   -the World Students Society Computers-Internet-Wireless:

''' World Students Forum '''

'''Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless