enlarge picture ()
From left to right: Colin Niven, Ronald Rivers-Moore, |
Recently a reunion of Island School Headmasters was held in London. Since Island School opened in 1967 there have been five Headmasters. Perhaps it is time we had a Headmistress, although Jane Mercer substituted as Principal for two terms in 1989 after Colin Niven left. The first Principal and founder of the English Schools Foundation was the Reverend Geoffrey Speak. Prior to coming to Island School he had been Headmaster of St Paul's Boys School on Bonham Road and was a Mathematician from Cambridge. Current students met him when he visited Hong Kong last year.
The second Headmaster, Ronald Rivers-Moore, was Principal from 1971 to 1977. He had been a Principal in England before and had led a most interesting career, living in Hitler's Germany in the '30s and serving as a decorated soldier in World War 2. He was also a person who was not guided by conservative expectations, unlike most Heads. He used to ride to school on a motor-bike and when he retired at 60 he went home overland to the UK. The night I met him in London he was off on holiday the next day to go skiing in Switzerland, at 82 years of age!
The next Principal was Jonty Driver, a South African, who had been expelled from South Africa on account of his anti-apartheid views and student political activities. He too was hardly an establishment figure. He was also a novelist and a poet. He is currently the Headmaster at Wellington College in England. He was Principal from 1977 until 1983 and without doubt the tallest of the Heads.
Colin Niven was my immediate predecessor (1983-89). He is currently Headmaster of Thomas Alleyn's School in London and like all his predecessors was a graduate of Oxford or Cambridge Universities. The photograph was taken, in fact, outside the Oxford and Cambridge Club in London. Colin Niven did a great deal to improve Island School's image in the Hong Kong community, changing the uniform and beginning the drive to put students into prestigious universities.
I doubt there will be the opportunity for us all to get together again and this photograph is a good reminder of the fact for all of us, that there is life after Island School. Leavers please take note.
David James
Principal
http://www.ishk.org/files/five_heads_9910.html
To re-enter this site without logging in again please bookmark the Home Page. If you have forgotten your password and would like to reset it please visit the password reset page.