Putting Students First
A talk with Malvern College Tokyo’s founding headmaster.
Malvern College Tokyo (MCT) is set to welcome new students next year and plans to offer an education that brings together the International Baccalaureate curriculum, a strong technology focus, entrepreneurship, sustainability and a melding of Malvern’s British heritage and Japanese culture.
Its founding headmaster will be Mike Spencer, an educator with more than 20 years of experience leading schools in Hong Kong, India, China and Mozambique. Mr Spencer recently arrived in Tokyo and is helping prepare the school for its launch. Here, he discusses his impressions of Japan, reveals his educational philosophy and shares how MCT will offer a unique education.
How have your initial experiences here made you think about adapting the Malvern College experience to Japan?
My interactions with all Japanese people have been characterized by courtesy, kindness and respect; it is my intention to ensure that these qualities lie at the heart of the MCT experience. Wherever I go in Tokyo, I am struck by a deep sense of calmness and humility despite the busy nature and colossal size of the metropolis. There is such virtue in quiet achievement, and I hope that this becomes a hallmark of MCT.
What is your overall philosophy when it comes to education?
I believe that learning is a social activity and that we construct our learning together with others. Only when students share an authentic and deep understanding of the way that they and others think can they begin to see and respect how others impact upon their lives, and how they can take action to improve the world they live in.
Although good academic grades are essential, a good education is about so much more than that. How do we develop qualities in young people such as resilience, courage, confidence, commitment, creativity, honesty and integrity? The best educators ponder these questions deeply because no school is better than its teachers.
Why is entrepreneurship such an important quality for young learners?
We see entrepreneurship as a way of thinking about challenges that will enable our pupils to learn and to tackle new situations with logic, creativity and perseverance. At its heart, entrepreneurship is about adding value, and we would like our pupils to embrace the skills that enable them to add value in all areas of their lives, and in the lives of others.
What will make Malvern College Tokyo stand out?
I hope that our stakeholders will see and feel that MCT is a school that puts its students first and that cares deeply about the progress, hopes, aspirations and well-being of each and every one of them. During a recent visit to Malvern College UK, I asked many students what was special to them about a Malvern education. One response that resonated was, “Our teachers love us and want the best for us.” I hope the same will be said by the students of Malvern College Tokyo.
