Walking Through Dachau: A Lesson in Courage and Conscience
Some of our students recently had the solemn opportunity to walk through the Dachau Concentration Camp—the first of its kind established under Hitler’s regime. It was a confronting experience, but one rich with lessons about the dangers of unchecked hatred, authoritarianism, and silence in the face of evil.
Passing through the gate marked ‘Arbeit macht frei’ (“Work sets you free”), and walking through the stark remains of the camp, students witnessed the consequences of a society that allowed fear and propaganda to override compassion and truth. We travelled there on a cold and cloudy day (see below) which seemed appropriate for the ominous mood of the place. Reflecting on the harshness of the oncoming winter was chilling in both senses of the word. Walking through the gas chamber is a memory that will remain with me, trying to understand the helplessness and terror of those that had their lives taken in such a way.
Dachau is more than a historical site—it is a warning. We don’t take our students to places like this just to teach history. We take them so they might grow in moral courage—the kind it takes to speak up against injustice, to think critically, and to stand firm when it’s easier to go along with the crowd.
Next week our Year 10 and Year 12 History students are visiting the Sydney Jewish Museum where they will have a chance to reflect and respond to the significant and abhorrent impact of the Third Reich on the Jewish people.
As a school, we aim to form not just minds, but character. Seeing Dachau challenges young people to reflect on their role in shaping a just and compassionate future. It reminds us all that evil thrives when good people remain silent.
I know that parents and carers are aligned with us in the aim of raising a generation that chooses courage, truth, and hope.
Chapels in Term 2: Being Curious with the Big Questions
Our chapels this term have been shaped by curiosity and guided by student voice. At the start of the term, students were surveyed to discover the big questions they have about God, faith, and Christianity. While students had many questions, including “Will God ever allow the Tigers to win another premiership?”, the big four common questions were as follows:
Why is there suffering in the world?
Is God real and how do we know?
Why do bad things happen to good people?
What is the purpose/meaning of life?
These questions are forming the heart of our chapel talks this term. This week, we explored the first question on suffering. Please be encouraged to chat at home to understand what your child took from the chapel address (other than our Chaplain Mr Stephenson once snapped his ACL and suffered inscrutable pain).
Together, at OPAC, we’re creating space to wrestle honestly with faith, doubt, and truth, to use critical thinking and be curious in a world that relentlessly throws many alternative ideas and perspectives at us.
God bless,
Mr Steve Owen
Deputy Principal – Head of Senior School
