The View From My Study – 22nd September

A couple of days ago, as I was researching amazing achievements by children, I found myself reading about an extra-ordinary South Korean man named Kim Ung-Yong. A guest student at a university when he was three years old, he was subsequently invited to do research for NASA when he was eight. He spent ten years at NASA and during that time he earned his PhD at the age of fifteen and appeared in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the “Highest IQ”. Incredible!

And yet, he admits that his childhood was not a happy one and he is quick to point out that academic success is not always the measure of a person. “Society should not judge anyone with unilateral standards – everyone has different learning levels, hopes, talents, and dreams and we should respect that.” Kim currently works at Chungbuk National University and says he’s doing what he really wants to do. He’s happy and, to him, that’s what really counts.

While few of us will be able to match Kim’s intellectual capacity, we can all learn lessons from his attitude to life. Every Tuesday in the Prep we have a Thought for the Week and this week’s theme, delivered brilliantly by Mr Langley, is Global Awareness. He inspired the children to recognise the importance of developing a global perspective but, in order to gain this, we first have to be good citizens more locally.

BG is blessed with pupils from all over the world who can share their cultural experiences and backgrounds. From this we can all learn so much and together become more empathetic, compassionate, kind and happy. Biltonians have the opportunity to develop skills that will make them a success anywhere in the world and they are learning these skills right now, in a smaller community perhaps, but one which is globally aware.

We have reached the first exeat after a full-on first few weeks. Children and staff will welcome the rest and I hope they can find it. I wish you all a very good weekend.

Gareth Jones, Headmaster