“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.”
Oprah Winfrey
Since learning about the discovery of a long lost Cimabue masterpiece in Compiègne, I have been looking closely at all of the pictures we have hanging on the walls at school. Sadly no early renaissance masterpiece to be found but many splendid examples of pupils’ artistic skills. Who knows, in centuries to come some of these works might be seen as the early signs of an emerging Renoir, Morisot or O’Keefe. A quick visit to the Senior School Japanese Art Club and Printmaking Workshop on a Friday will convince even the most sceptical critic that we have artists of the highest calibre. Whenever you go to the Junior School the vibrancy and sheer joy communicated by the work to be found there is tonic for the soul.
I’m sure that there will be many questions raised about the authenticity of this newly found picture, such is the way of international art markets. If you ever watch the BBC’s Fake or Fortune the question of integrity seems to be one that is a matter of educated opinion and normally has something to do with the chemical composition of paint. Everyone seems to have a view and decisions are made in closed rooms by shadowy figures. Some paintings are accepted as genuine, others are deemed fakes. Authenticity and integrity have been much discussed in other places this week. In some cases it has been more a case of a lack of both. With this comes an inevitable scrutiny of word choice and terminology. The British House of Commons was recalled for a vitriolic session on Wednesday and we have heard much from New York this week. It took a sixteen year old to speak plainly and clearly about the crisis that the world faces.
Integrity is one of our school values and it is often the one that we find most difficult to explain to our young people. This week has perhaps given us both positive and negative models for them to consider. I hope that they are inspired when they see words that are used with integrity rather than cynicism.
Over the course of the year I will no doubt have to deal with incidents among friends when words are used without thought or care or integrity. Indeed this is one of the most significant causes of upset in any school and always has been. Social media gives people the opportunity to express themselves without the filter provided by face to face interaction and I hope that all of our young people can use events of this week to reflect upon the power of words both positive and negative. Most importantly I hope that we as parents or teachers can support them in developing character that means they will stand apart, consider their actions and make the right decisions. Whilst I know that this won’t be particularly popular with the student body, can I make a suggestion? If your daughter or son has a social media account why not talk through what they are saying on it? You don’t need to snoop, a forensic examination is not required, and indeed I’d not even have the pages open while you talk. An open conversation about what is and is not kind often goes a long way.
Nicholas Hammond
Headmaster
