Our children will see enormous change in their lifetimes. Technology will disrupt every respected, high-paying profession from banking to the law to medicine. Most of the top jobs of the future do not exist yet, will be short term and will be highly pressured.

The mental health challenges of a connected world, with vast power afforded to our young people instantly available in the technology in their pockets are influences we cannot ignore.

Globalisation will bring a disturbing level of competition that we in our middle years never knew.

Health challenges will proliferate. We are sitting on a diabetes time bomb. Exercise is not strongly enough promoted by our governments or society. Awareness of diet and nutrition have given us a certain longevity, but that must continue as a fundamental part of a young person’s education.

In Australia, the sense of responsibility to the environment is high. The rest of the world needs to follow this example. Young Australians can lead the way in environmental protection. The safe, sensible harnessing of our resources for a sustainable future is a call we rely on this generation of young people to answer.

Employment protection, access to mortgages and pension provision are all more troublesome and less reliable than they were when I, a school Principal in his 50s, was in my 20s.

Ideological challenge is coming from every direction. The need for civic engagement and a staunch defence of our way of life will be more and more of an educational challenge.

So, what is the Scotch difference?

Scotch College will bring great NAPLAN scores and ATARs. Yet, a school with our resource, intelligence and depth should aim so much higher in our aspirations for our students.

Scotch prepares children for a harder life than their parents had. The pattern of generational progress, when one generation has it better than the one before, has broken. Education is not stepping up to these realities. Scotch College is doing so.

On top of key academic qualifications, we need to teach Wellbeing, versatility, profound emotional intelligence, leadership, global awareness, civic responsibility (because all must vote) as well as knowledge of business, and project management.

A strong emphasis through our business, service learning, global leadership and outdoor education provision on informed self-reliance puts our children in what we like to term the `discomfort zone’. It is no longer enough to play to one’s strengths in school. The new world for our young will need them to take risks, be comfortable with disruption and be ready to be long-term, instinctive learners.

Supremely, we are drawing on the best research to find ways of helping our young people nurture themselves and their own resources. Our ground-breaking Wellbeing programme, from the very youngest to our Y12s, stresses the need for sound decision making, resilience, profound self-knowledge and the imperative to serve others as the wellspring of a well lived life.

We want a fulfilled existence for your children. We aim for your children to be grateful for a Scotch education when they are 75, not just 18. We aim high because we have the imagination, the drive, the freshness, the culture and the desire to see your children prosper so the world around them prospers too.