Harry Reinhardt's original post (and thread) on Facebook - very difficult to find!
VeronicaCrossan
Harry Reinhardt uploaded a file.
Last week I wrote an Open Letter to the Board of Governors regarding my view on the state of affairs at Aiglon. I also sent the letter to some friends knowing full well the purpose of an Open Letter and the power of the internet. Alumni have prodded me to post it on this site so that a larger audience can enter the discussion. The only added comment I can put forth is that we as alumni need to reflect on the core values and principles JC and Aiglon stood for and gave us. We need to share these thoughts with the Board to assist them to get back on track, and review why the school is unable to carry on Corlette's work.
Open Letter to Aiglon Board of Governors.pdf · version 1
post · 19 August at 21:15
You, William Holroyd and 25 others like this.
Bahman Azarm Any response from Aiglon? It would be great if that is posted as well.
John Clegg Good luck with this. I did forward to the board with my thoughts.
19 August at 21:25 via Mobile · 1
Marc A Borrelli Harry, I read your letter with sadness that these issues are being faced. However, a couple of years ago there was a lot of discussion on the Aiglon Alumni FB Page about how the school had changed from when we were there in the 70s and early 80s. This discussions was the result of other issues with the board and issues with the school at that time which I am sure you were aware of.While we all realize that things must change the most telling point to me was that the School did not have a copy of the Aim of the School that JC had us all memorize and none of the Board seemed aware of it. Without knowing of JC's aims the school seems to have no mission and therefore any road will take you there. I have forwarded your letter and hope that there is a positive response from the Board, but from what I have seen, Aiglon is now just another expensive school for wealthy children in Switzerland and not what JC sought to create.
Sasha Nikolic Marc, I fear your last sentence contains the simplest truth. I've been up to Villars many times since 80s and the school was each time less special. Now 'Just another...' Too bad!
Patrick Roberts I applaud Harry for writing this letter and for posting it here as well; just possibly, the more feedback the powers-that-be get from alumni, the more chance there is of some action. Unfortunately I fear it can't be counted on. The whole deal when Macdonald was taken on, with a new chairman and board, was supposed to be a new start, put the mistakes of the past behind, return to JC's principles ... and it seems that once again it just hasn't happened. I find the whole thing incredibly sad. Of course the school has to change with the times, we all recognise that; but the longer the time that passes without getting to grips with the basic problems, the harder it becomes to put things right. Is it already too late?
Robert Dunn Boy,I'm shocked to read this letter.This is all new news to me and hope that the Board will come back and address it.A great letter and hope the rest of the Aiglon family gets onboard and let the school know we aren't happy with the 'status quo'.Why haven't I heard of all this before??I assume our alumni head is aware of this?I've left a substantial gift to the school in my 'Will' which I may have to reconsider after seeing this letter.I'll wait to see what happens.Well done and a real eye opener for me!!
Tipper Davis Truly sad to when something so special sinks to the level of the ordinary and mundane. hopefully it can get back on the path that JC worked so hard to establish.
Noel Thompson Once again, it seems the Board of Governors are "clueless" as to what is going on at Aiglon. I hope there is a strong response form the Board on these issues.
Jim Thurber As an experienced elementary school teacher I read your letter with interest. Many of the points you brought out are problems we face as a society versus a school setting - times have changed I fear. To return to the days of the 70's with a ranking system and pocket money might be impossible. But it's not impossible for the Board of Directors, the teachers / house parents and the Chairman to set the standards of behavior. John Corlette, Robert Boas, Patrick Roberts, Teddy Senn and the other teachers and staff set an example of well behaved, forward thinking adults. Is this no longer the case at Aiglon? Perhaps it's time for me to return to Switzerland and see Aiglon - last time I was there was in 2003. Gosh, I miss it though.
Aseanto Oudang Harry I have read your letter, I have also forwarded it to my sister who also went to Aiglon Erdina Oudang. I graduated in 99, Richard McDonald was my headmaster, since 99 I have only been back once, and that was for Aiglon's 50th Annivesary. I do agree on your points. Hopefuly the current board take your letter serisously.
Patrick Roberts Much as I thought the rank system was a Good Thing, I agree with Jim that it couldn't be reintroduced today, and nor could pocket money. But as he also says, it's up to the board, the head and the staff to set behavioural standards. There has to be firm, fair and above all consistent discipline, with certain definite boundaries that aren't to be crossed, and sanctions -- suitably harsh in some cases -- applied if/when they are crossed. Many schools manage to do this perfectly well even in today's societal climate -- so why can't Aiglon?
John Dennison I'm with Robert Dunn - this news is shocking. I heard about a board shake-up 2(?) yrs ago that I found troubling: what could be so bad that calls for such a seismic event? Then I found out that most of the structural framework that informed our experience have been gone or phased out for years - no ranks, pocket money, no EX's, no laps, and skiing/sports drastically reduced - is Leysin or TASIS actually beating us in GS now, or do we even bother to train a team anymore? (tell me they serve foie gras w/sauternes at table and I will personally blow the place up). I concluded that intense pressure from high-placed parents probably contributed to the slow erosion of values after JC's death - after all, it's common for an institution to un-moor itself after the original visionary departs the company. But without that unique framework in place, there is nothing special about it, and everyone succumbs easily to the tidal forces of Society at large. Harry's letter tells me that there is a lack of conviction and consistency at Aiglon, and the kids are taking advantage in ways not possible in our day. The staff doesn't have JC watching from the Alpina roof anymore so there is no motivation to adhere to AIM.
Jim Thurber Another interesting note is that I teach in a terribly wealthy area. The money our parents have is a mixed blessing - many of the students have been given everything they've ever wanted / asked for. Likewise, they've rarely been told no. As a result their behavior is predictably awful. "Of course I can do it, I've got money!" I agree with Mr. Roberts that consequences need to be in place and fairly / equally applied for poor behavior. And, as I said before, the staff and teachers need to set a HIGH standard for the students to emulate. And the pocket money system did level the students - wealthy vs poor - all resided in the pocket money "boat!"
John Dennison This made me so mad, I just burned up two hours reading JC's wiki page, Dr. Kurt Hahn's, Round Square Conference and Gordonstoun wiki pages. So I say let's just start over: we can put 5 tents up at Bahman Azarm's ropes course site, dig a fire pit for cooking, and bully somebody into giving us a crate of iPads. VOILA!!
Louis P Snyder Dear Alumni Family...I know this news saddens us all greatly, especially for those of us who have intently followed Aiglon's history, and closely monitored our challenges along the way. I do applaud Harry in taking this initiative to adddress his concerns to the board...as an alumnus, alumni parent and current parent. This action, on his part, does represent genuine care and great loyalty for the Aiglon College we all hold dear, and it confirms to me how well grounded he is. From my understanding the Board has been wrestling with these and other important issues facing the school, and we can only hope their responsibility for oversight will support any actions needed which will result in positive change, particularly in those areas of school life where it is so desperately warranted. I do have faith in this board to get things right! I would ask now that you all stand-by your school, and know that our roots in J.C.'s legacy are deeply enbedded in the mountainside. Strength and honour!
Patrick Roberts I hope your optimism is borne out, Louis -- but haven't the current board and headmaster had nearly 3 years already to get things right? Sound discipline is the basis for a well-functioning school, and without it things won't work as they should. Achieving it my be hard at first, but it surely isn't 'rocket science'!
Cela Wright Hobbs This is sad news. It doesn't matter how spoiled and wealthy kids are if they are all treated the same way. We have seen over and over again that good, fair discipline in children makes for better character in adults. JC focused on building character and all of us alumni appreciate the important lessons we learned at that unique British school nestled in the Swiss alps. We learned the meaning of responsibility and teamwork, the importance of challenging oneself to overcome fears and self doubt, independence and self-reliance and so much more. Aiglon was strict in ways, but we recognized, as students, that the underlying messages were important for us to learn. Harry, a former student and parent has particular insight to how far the school seems to have strayed from J.C's vision of education. The board and extended community should listen carefully to what Harry has to say and respond with a plan for change. A school's mission is important to revisit continually. For us alumni it is about the reputation of a school that we all used to be proud about attending. I hope that the issues that Harry has raised can be immediately addressed. The situation calls for leadership and change and speaking out. Bravo Harry!
Veronica Grace Crossan What can I say? I'm not sure whether I am shocked or whether I expected it. Having taught economics and business studies at a well known private sixth form college in the UK for five years, with all of my students going on to UK universities, many to the top ten, it quickly became painfully obvious to me how the school failed all of us academically, an unforgivable state of affairs considering the virtually unlimited resources if the school. I am not under any illusions here and because of this, I would not send any of my six children to the school, even if they were offered scholarships, just to churned out of a posh secondary social club, with the same (or less) academic ability than one would get at an average UK comprehensive. The only employers who want Aiglon graduates are companies who need posh-sounding salespeople, eg stockbrokers etc.
Yes my friends, this is the way it was in 1978-82 and it has gone downhill from there...
What do you send your kids to boarding school for. - mainly? To get a good academic preparation for uni, all the rest is simply social icing on the cake.
Aiglon has shown it can only provide icing but is incapable if providing the cake, even at SFR 85000 per year?!21 August at 01:29 via Mobile · 1
Veronica Grace Crossan Let the buyer beware - caveat emptor.
Trudyellen Richards This is truly shocking and action needs to be taken NOW not later. I call out to all my classmates to take action with regard to this.
Rob Dekker I have to agree with those above who stated that standards are made by the teachers and staff. In my days there was pocket money and the ranking system. Of cause the wealthy kids smuggled money so they could by their sweets and the ranking system promoted lots of kids into ranks they did not deserve but still....it created discipline.
Gail Powell Hoatson Thank you Harry for bringng this to our attention. Horrified that Aiglon has become a just another boarding school for the rich and that academics and values have erroded. (IB in itself provides discipline and development for our children and Aiglon'scurrent stats tell us something is wrong. My daughter was an IB student here in the states and I was instrumental in starting the local chapter - remembering this huge impact and value from my days at Aiglon.) Good start by sending the letter of concern out to us;The Aiglon Alum Eagle Assoc.- thirsty for more information on current state of school. It is obvious, all three points in your letter must be addressed- the sooner the better. Thinking of ways we can help.In the meantime, please keep us updated. More to come.....
Michaela Seeger Wolf I graduated from Aiglon in 1980. My brother and my sister attended the school. I am deeply committed to the principles of JC and Kurt Hahn, they have greatly influenced me. Today I work for an international school in Zurich as Director of Community Relations. I regularly read the Facebook entries for Aiglon and I shows how much this time at Villars meant to all of us. We care deeply. From work I know how a school can be affected by the type of communication we are having. I was also saddened to read Harry's perceptions. However, It is one opinion and one voice. I believe we should give the school a chance to respond. The question for me is are JC's values strongly embedded in the school's mission and the strategic plan? What methods does the board of governors use to evaluate that the plan is effectively executed and that JC' values are still alive? Does the school use surveys in order to check with its different stakeholders that it is on track? just a few thoughts.
21 August at 05:57 via Mobile · 4
Ming Shipp Powerful letter Harry... I had no idea how dismally our beloved school has been failing its students... A far call from the school we attaended back in JC's time! It was safe, organized, inspiring and a great place of learning...
Nick Rowcliffe Well said Harry. The alma mater sounds more like St Trinians. now. Pocket money is a great leveller, but call it an allowance today if that helps. The higher the rank the higher the allowance. Incentive is a wonderful thing. How you stop e-finance is another thing altogher, though. I was a member of the Ranking Committee which comprised JC, three staff members and 2 or3 students, (I forget). There was never any hint of favouritism because the members were selected for approval personally by JC, who was one of the best judges of character I have known. Election to the committee had to be unanimous. There was never any jealousy and demotions were extremely rare. Keep at 'em Harry, and as my old dad used to say: "nil carborundum est" or "don't let the b-- - - - ds grind you down!"
William Holroyd right on, Nick, can also be described as 'nil carborundum illigitimus´' !
Nick Rowcliffe Better still, Will. A classical Aiglon education, obviously!
John Moodie Thank you Harry for this open letter. I am deeply perterbed as an Alumni and educator by the issues you raise regarding Aiglon. I hope satisfactory answers are given by the Board of Governers. As an ex- teacher and lecturer at a College of Education I would be happy to assist in any way possible.
John Moodie Sorry - "Governors" and "perturbed" - apologies to Harris and Senn who tried their best! I may not be able to drive like Sir Jackie Stewart but we probably share the same weak spelling, however, he was wise enough to decide not to teach English.
Wes Green Call up Eric Gibson ('72). A recent chairman of the board of governors, he has stories to tell.
Louise Aird If it's that bad, do what every other school would do. New headmaster, a board re-vamp.
John Clegg Pages 2 - 4 of the response
Louise Aird ?
John Clegg Sorry guys - getting there I hope