Declaration of Flag Bearers Ceremony
26 September 2013
Ambassador Mr Patrick Mullee, Mr David Francis, Board member, Ms Jacky Barreiro, Rectora,
Mr Paul Tonkinson, Head of Secondary – Teaching and Learning, Mr Marcus Felsman, Head of
Secondary – Student and Staff Care, Parents, Students and Staff, I warmly welcome you all to
our Declaration of Flag Bearers ceremony for the 2013/2014 academic year.
Today is a dual celebration. We are here celebrating the academic achievement of our flag
bearers and our certificate winners but we are also here celebrating citizenship, the citizenship of
our students in their school, in their country and in our global community.
One of the most recent trends in education is called ‘flipping’. This is a learning process whereby
educators ask students to ‘pre-learn’ some things online before the lesson by reading
information, watching videos, etc. The idea is that the learning in the classroom will be more
focussed and successful if students come to the lesson with prior knowledge. It means they can
engage more with the learning and teaching and thus take more away from it. Well today I want
to talk about ‘flipping’, not so much flipping learning, but flipping an idea.
Many of you will have heard of the phrase ‘think global, act local’. Whilst I wholeheartedly agree
with this statement and its sentiment I would like to flip that for today.
Today’s ceremony, and the entire concept of flag bearers, to me is a true opportunity to flip that
idea so that we ‘think local, act global’.
The Ecuadorian government, through the Ministry of Education, has set out a process and
structure through which we must determine our flag bearers each year and in doing so they are
providing us with an opportunity to ‘think local’; an opportunity to think about, honour, and pay
homage to the benefits of positive citizenship and national pride.
Thinking about this from an internationally minded perspective, as we do in this IB learning
community, we can take this opportunity afforded to us to ‘think local’ and turn it into an
opportunity to ‘act global’
What do I mean by that?
Citizenship and national pride are by their very nature ‘local’ things. We are citizens of our own
counties and we take great pride in that fact. However, we are also citizens of the world, globally
connected on every level – environmentally, politically, financially, historically, ethically and
morally.
So today is an opportunity for us to think locally about citizenship in our home country and the
pride we have in that but it is also an opportunity to open ourselves to the possibilities and
responsibilities of true global citizenship. How can we pay homage to being global citizens, to
honour that and to have pride in that?
By being reflective thinkers who weigh decisions carefully and make choices that contribute to a
better society.
When my daughters used to argue with each other I always asked them to reflect on this
question - ‘Am I contributing to or contaminating this situation?’ It is a great question, one that
might not seem like much at first, but through self-reflection we can find very profound answers.
Mostly they would find that they were indeed ‘contaminating’ by name-calling, being hurtful, or
blaming the other. So they would reflect, change their position and start again from a point of
wanting a resolution that was good for everyone.
Imagine if we asked ourselves that as citizens of our country? Imagine if governments asked
themselves that question before creating new laws, invading other countries, entering peace
talks, or brokering deals with other countries. What would the outcome be? For me – it would be
the possibility of a better, more peaceful and equitable global community.
Each of you here today is a citizen of your country and of the global community. As you grow
and leave your school education career to step into the wider world of university and work, I ask
you to consider whether you will contribute to a better global community or contaminate that
possibility? What will your personal and work decisions do? Contribute or contaminate?
Ask yourselves how your actions and choices affect your home country and the global
community?
Each of you is the future of your country. You have a great opportunity but also a great
responsibility, to be true contributors and to leave your country and the world better places for
you having been citizens in them.
I congratulate all of our flag bearers and certificate winners here today and I encourage you to
take up this opportunity.
Reflect on your decisions.
Make the right choices.
Be a true contributor to your local and global communities.
Be a contributing global citizen and wear it with pride!
Kerry Tyler-Pascoe
Director