EDUCATION |
Principal Speaks – Dilworth School
A short history
Dilworth School: an education unlike any other Dilworth School is based in Auckland and is like no other school or indeed educational facility in New Zealand or the world. Such a bold statement needs teasing out and much of Dilworth School uniqueness and special character relates to the life and times of the founders, James and Isabella Dilworth. The Dilworth Trust currently provides up to 640 scholarships per year, at an average cost of $35,000 per student per year. This all stems from the original bequest of James Dilworth, whose vision became the reality that is now Dilworth School.
Dilworth today – transforming boys’ lives In 2018, Dilworth is a single school that operates on three separate campuses: Junior Years 5 to 8, Year 9 (Rural at Mangatawhiri), and Senior Years 10 to 13. Dilworth provides an all-round education for young men from disadvantaged backgrounds to live, learn, play sport, develop their performing skills and be nurtured pastorally and spiritually in a fully funded, modern boarding school environment. In short, the criteria each boy is selected on is family need and suitability for boarding – that is, the ability for a young man to live harmiously in close proximity with others.
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schoolnews Term 1 - 2018
The aim is to provide a wraparound care and education package for each individual student. There are now 640 full time boarders on a Dilworth Scholarship. There are no day students, and the school roll is made up of students from many parts of the North Island, not just the Auckland isthmus. The pastoral care and welfare of boys are vital to their success in many other areas of life, not least academic achievement, and this is a significant focus for staff and resourcing. Many of our students are helped in their own personal lives to come to terms with family loss, difficulties relating to financial circumstances, and, in particular, the need for people from all backgrounds to work and live well and positively together. The school continues to follow the principles laid down in The Dilworth Will, recognising that many of these are as relevant today as they were 112 years ago, but also acknowledging that times are changing fast, and the school must be forward looking as well as historically reflective, to make sure students are fully equipped for life in a challenging, fast changing, technological age.
Rural Campus – Te Haerenga The establishment of the Rural Campus (Te Haerenga) in 2012 for Year 9 boys was an example of
James Dilworth was born in Northern Ireland in August 1815. He was chosen by a relative, who was responsible for his upbringing, to travel across the world with some of her money in the hope of adding to this this for himself and possibly his extended family. The young Dilworth was educated at The Royal School in Dungannon and then, after a few years working in banking, he departed County Tyrone for Australia. A short time later, in 1841, he arrived in Auckland and decided to settle there, purchasing land, developing his business interests and occasionally bringing out other members of his family. In 1853 James Dilworth married Isabella Hall, the daughter of another family of Ulster-born settlers. James
vision and adapting to the needs of young men by ensuring the Dilworth journey encompassed allround life skills. Approximately 100 Year 9 boys live in a rural setting (Mangatawhiri, 60 minute drive from Auckland CBD) where, as well as completing the Year 9 academic curriculum, boys are also provided with real opportunities to live, work, and actively contribute to their environment. And a beautiful environment it is! Boys live in cabins of ten and are responsible for their own needs and of others. Managing oneself includes: operating a washing machine;
James Dilworth
and Isabella had no children of their own. Consequently, when he died in December 1894, his Will left the bulk of his considerable wealth in trust to establish a school for boys – “orphans, the sons of widows, or the sons of persons of good character, and of any race, in straitened circumstances” – so that they might be educated to become “good and useful” members of society.
cleaning the toilet; chopping firewood; working in the kitchen to ensure the community is well fed; outdoor educational opportunities which involve leading others; teamwork and basic bush survival. It is an appropriately challenging environment but exceptionally wellresourced, with qualified teachers and outdoor instructors.
A multi-cultural school Given the criteria in the Will of “straitened circumstances”, it is not surprising that the school is multi-cultural, with an ethnic diversity that enriches the whole community.
