THE PRINCIPAL for an Ascot secondary has spoken in front of thousands at a schools’ show, addressing a forum on the future of education.

Christine Cunniffe, principal of LVS Ascot, was invited to the Independent Schools Show in London on Sunday November 12.

Ms Cunniffe said: “The employment landscape is changing with certain professions disappearing and I believe automated services will signal an impact on the workforce.

“My youngest son spends three hours or more a day on his computer, which horrified me initially, but for what he wants to do it is essential and therefore what is the difference between that and me practising on the piano for three hours a day forty years ago?”

She added: “Now we are all producers, not consumers, and we are not all the same – that’s why we recognise at LVS Ascot that all students are individuals and learn differently and at different times. The confines of the traditional classroom often don’t recognise this.

“I’m not sure that there is enough encouragement of entrepreneurship and innovation and encouraging our children to take risks. Our job should be to nurture and support them, and give them the opportunities to find and develop new skills.

“We have set up a party of LVS Ascot parents working in industry to look at the challenges of the future and help initiate programmes at school, such as our recent apprenticeships evening where we welcomed Coca Cola amongst others to talk about future opportunities for our students.”

The school also had two students at the show, talking to those in attendance about the benefits of the boarding school.

Ana and Ilia Vlasov, both 17, were ambassadors for the school at the show, speaking to prospective parents about the school.