Students had been experiencing the new campus since the start of the week. One of them commented that "it was like a school in a story book." The others would probably agree.
The official opening had many important guests: Mr. Ali Kardic, a long-time supporter of Horizon's activities, came from Singapore, changing his flight plans. Mr. Fevzi Ozyurek, the owner and the chairman of Resha Nursing Vocational Schools (there are 23 of them) in Turkey, Mr. Ferhat Yigit, a native of Kayseri who owns a respectable IT company, Mr. Omer Faruk Karacam, the general director of the Marmara Schools/Thailand, and Mr. Ahmet Akif Oktay, the Turkish Ambassador to Vietnam were among the dignitaries.
The program was filled with speeches, performances from students, a dragon dance and lasted about an hour and a half.
I think the Turkish Ambassador Mr. Oktay's speech was very well-written. With his permission, I'd like to include it here:
"
Dear Students of HIBS Hanoi,
Distinguished Faculty Members, Parents and Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me begin by thanking the Management of the Horizon
International Bilingual School for inviting me to this important event. For me,
the opening of a new school or any educational facility is a very exciting
occasion for a very personal reason: There is a long line of educators in my
pedigree. Both sides of my family boast many former and present teachers and
professors. And I stand before you as the proud husband of an academician. So,
I consider myself sort of an insider to the world of education.
But I am not here to lecture you about the merits of a good
education and the importance of sending your children to good schools. You
already know that and that’s why you are here today in this colorful new campus by the
West Lake. Rather, I want to briefly share my humble views about the general philosophy
of education and my personal observations about the HIBS.
In my opinion, the modern education system serves, or must
be geared towards, four interconnected goals:
1.
To foster independent and analytical thinking
and to give students the skills of observation, testing and implementation;
2.
To bring out the natural talent or talents that
usually stay hidden in each child until discovered;
3.
To encourage children to take initiatives
without being afraid of making mistakes, so that they grow into self-confident
individuals;
4.
To teach them where and how to find the kind of
usable information that they will need in life in order to build a career and
make positive contributions to the society.
I am confident that these are also the goals shared and
pursued by HIBS Schools in Vietnam. I
know that there is now more and more international schools in Vietnam and in
Hanoi, which is increasing competition. I believe that having more options and
competition among educational service providers is a good and healthy thing. It
tends to drive quality standards upwards everywhere. But HIBS is not a newcomer
to the educational sector in Vietnam. It has been here for some time and is
intimately familiar with the educational needs of the society. They have a
dedicated team of professional educators who are tailoring their curriculum to
the requirements of both the Vietnamese educational system and the highest international standards in the most rational
way possible. They are using the latest technological tools and techniques to
make the learning process more efficient. I understand that they are also
preparing to introduce innovative teaching methods that could make learning
tougher subjects like mathematics literally a child’s
play.
But, in my view, what gives HIBS the edge over many other
schools is the way they approach their work, which can be summarized in two
words: human touch. I believe students here get the feeling that they are in a
family and community of shared values, rather than in an institution of formal
education with impersonal relationships and cold faces. Family and community
are important for every society, but especially so for Vietnam and Turkey. I
hope that HIBS continues and further builds on this tradition.
I am sure many you have already noticed by now that the
main motivation of HIBS schools is a non-commercial one, as reflected by the
fact that they are highly affordable. Simply put, they are not in this business
to make profit. What makes them tick is the ideal of helping to raise an
educated and productive generation that will carry their country, and therefore
humanity, to a future where universal peace, prosperity and cultural harmony
prevails, both within and between nations. I think this is a worthy goal that
everyone can easily share. So I commend them for adopting this long-term vision
and hope that their efforts will bear fruits sooner, rather than later.
However, if you ask me what I want to give you in the way
of a take-home message today, I would say that it would be basically addressed
to the parents and go something like this:
Please don’t forget that we were all children once. Let’s
keep the child in each of us alive and kicking. Children are not just the next
generation and the future pillars of the society, they are also our best friends.
Let’s
not just try to teach our children, but also learn from them, and remember our
own childhood by being with them. Let’s make education an all time and two-way affair not only
limited to school hours. Let’s make it fun. Let’s spare the time and energy to really listen to our
children, to read and write with them, to play games with them. Time spent with
kids is not a waste of time, or an unnecessary distraction from so-called adult
activities. It is quality time, the most precious moments of our lives that
will never come back. I know I may be preaching to the converted, but let me
repeat one time-tested motto anyway: actions speak louder than words.
As I conclude, I want to congratulate the HIBS management
and faculty for transforming this campus into what it is now in such a short
amount of time. They did a terrific job and it shows. They are making
commendable efforts not just as educators constantly seeking higher standards,
but also as voluntary cultural ambassadors building bridges between societies.
I hope that this spirit will continue.
I want to congratulate and thank the parents here, too, for
sparing nothing to provide their children with quality education. This is the
most important investment of your lives, one that will not only make your
children grow into strong and successful adults, but will also have a positive
domino effect on your grandchildren.
Finally, I wish the students and faculty of the HIBS
continued success in their educational activities at this beautiful new campus.
Thank you.
We thank you Mr. Ambassador.
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