Scottish Catholic Observer

This conundrum presents itself in light of the news that Gordonstoun in Elgin, Moray—which includes the Prince of Wales among its old boys—is presently recruiting a ‘director of international and spiritual citizenship’ to oversee pastoral care for pupils.

On the school’s website the rationale is explained as follows: ‘The concept and practice of citizenship has been central to the philosophy and ethos of Gordonstoun since the school was founded by Kurt Hahn [a German escaping Nazism] in 1933.’ It goes on to conclude: “It was then a natural development for the chaplaincy and the department of international and spiritual citizenship to become one entity and to be headed by one person.”

Is this political correctness gone mad, a sign of strong-arm tactics under equality legislation, a false economy or the shape or things to come?

After he was greeted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh last year, Pope Benedict XVI urged Scots to embrace and protect our Christian roots.

“The United Kingdom strives to be a modern and multicultural society,” he said. “In this challenging enterprise…let it not obscure the Christian foundation that underpins its freedom.”

That message seems to have fallen on deaf ears at Gordonstoun, troublingly so as it is a school which prides itself on producing future leaders in our country. In addition to Prince Charles, the Duke of Edinburgh and former Prime Minister Tony Blair were educated there.

Headmaster Mark Pyper, however, insists that Gordonstoun is not rejecting Christian views, insisting that the new ‘director’ will still be known informally as ‘chaplain.’ That remains to be seen.

The deadline for applications for the new school post is February 6. It should be a very interesting recruitment process, and a carefully observed outcome.

To read more visit http://www.gordonstoun.org.uk/index.php?page=director-isc

—Cross Wires is the Scottish Catholic Observer newspaper’s blog