Edarabia had the opportunity to interview Mr. Paul Rogers, Principal of Asia Pacific Schools Malaysia, to gain insights into his plans for the school’s future, his perspective on educational challenges, and his approach to fostering student engagement and wellbeing. Mr. Rogers’ thoughtful responses shed light on his passion for educational excellence and his commitment to providing a nurturing and supportive learning environment for all students.

1. What are your plans for 2025?

Simply put, our plans are to keep developing APS to be the best school it can be. Our aims are not to be perfect, as no school is. However, to keep improving, follow our development plans, work with our stakeholders and give our best for our pupils, we must focus on quality learning at all times and not let other things distract us from that.

2. How do you decide what to focus on academically each year, and which new ideas are you pursuing?

As a school, we do have a strategic plan which generally drives the school forward over the longer term as well as yearly development plans that are more specific towards each year. The focuses for each individual year are based on our current needs, which come from a variety of sources (whether these be surveys, evaluation of last year’s planning, academic results, staff training needs, etc.), which are all discussed with senior leaders at the school as well as international Schools Partnership.

3. What challenges do you anticipate in the field of education over the next 5 years?

For APS, like many schools, one of the key priorities must be how we incorporate (or not) emerging technology into our curriculum and ensure that we are preparing our pupils for an uncertain future whilst at the same time not getting sidetracked by that. At the end of the day, whilst parents want their children to be ready to that uncertain future in terms of how they learn, being flexible and life long learners – they also want their children to be happy, confident and having access to a whole range or experiences that they would not necessarily get outside of school.

4. How do you keep students interested in learning, especially those who struggle or seem unmotivated?

Students are often uninterested in learning because the work is not pitched at the right level. In my experience, children often switch off or misbehave because what they are learning is too easy, too difficult or not interesting. The key is employing staff who understand this and at the same time having strategies in place to support and extend pupils. In reality, teaching is the most difficult job in the world to do well at all times. To teach a class of 24 children who are all at different levels in different areas, who all learn in different ways and who all have different passions and motivations is extremely difficult. At the same time, teaching badly is a very easy thing to do, and, sadly, there are teachers out there who will teach to the majority in their classes. We keep students motivated and busy learning by catering for each at their own level, which means planning out their learning carefully, using our human and physical resources wisely and evaluating each learning opportunity carefully to inform the next.

5. How does the school ensure all students feel welcome and have the same chances to succeed?

Our job is not primarily to make children happy or welcome, but certainly their wellbeing is crucial to how successfully they study and helps everyone involved in the education process. For me, again, it is dependent on finding teaching staff who really care about the pupils in their care – as we have here at Asia Pacific Schools. In terms of ensuring our students have the same chances to succeed, we do have equal opportunity policies in place and regularly review these to ensure we are treating all pupils equally. At the same time, we do support and extend to individual pupils where we need to and make sure they can access their learning equally well. All children are different, and to succeed, some may need individual education plans put into place. This may include (for example) extra staff support, a different approach to learning or using different physical resources at the school.

6. How proactive is the school in matters of student stress and bullying?

As with many schools, we have an anti-bullying policy and processes to oversee this. Of course, when there are instances of bullying where a child has been picked on regularly, we take this extremely seriously and follow our policy very closely. We also have to be clear that not every situation that arises where pupils disagree is a case of bullying. This means educating our students as well as parents at times. Having disagreements is part of growing up and part of the learning process.

7. How do you help students build the skills they need for life after graduation?

Students building skills for life after graduation is about helping developing pupils who are lifelong learners. And role modelling this ourselves as educators. We must develop a mindset within our school community that recognizes that we are all learning on an ongoing basis. As part of that process, we all make mistakes, and that is fine – and we learn from those mistakes. We must develop enquiring minds in our pupils and a passion to keep finding out things.

8. How involved are parents and the community in making the school better?

Our parents are probably not as involved as they will be as we develop this year. As part of planning moving forward, we will include more parent committees, more parent information sessions, and more parent coffee mornings and extend the membership of the official Community Support Committee.

9. How do you develop a school culture that attracts and keeps great teachers?

Through listening to our staff and understanding what they are saying. By involving them in the school’s development and taking their views seriously. By valuing them, genuinely being interested in them as people and allowing them to be less than perfect at times.

10. Do teachers at your school have growth opportunities for leadership roles?

Yes – we have clear succession planning in place and quality performance management to enable this to happen. Whilst at the same time we must realise that ‘growing’ into leadership is not what all teachers want AND that teachers are also leaders in their pupils’ learning.

11. Which after-school activity would you say has the biggest positive impact on a student’s future?

The after-school activity which has the biggest positive impact on a student’s future is the one that aligns most closely with their own passions – so it is different for each child. For my own daughter at this current time, it is belly dancing! Will she become a future belly dancer? Probably not. But she enjoys it and, at this time in her life, is passionate about it.

12. As a Principal, what is your definition of success?

Try to reach your potential as far as you can whilst at the same time recognizing that you can only do your best. And, of course, success is not always measured in numbers – success for different people means different things. Whether this is being a good friend, travelling into space or being a good parent. Don’t judge others by your own ideas of what success means.

13. If you had the opportunity to inspire the world in one sentence, what would that sentence be?

Life is short – live for the moment and don’t worry so much about the future. Never live with regrets; if you could live your life again, you would no doubt do the same things.