The Bermuda High School has been admitted to a prestigious organisation of some 70 international schools from around the globe called Round Square Schools.

Headmaster Roy Napier said last week that he recently led a delegation of students to the annual Round Square Schools' conference in Melbourne, Australia.

These students included Aliyah Ahad, Maya Beckles, Christie O'Doherty and Round Square co-ordinator Tina Nash.

He said students had the opportunity to meet students from across the world at the conference which saw the school inducted as a full member.

Mr. Napier said Round Square Schools provide a wonderful opportunity for student exchanges among member schools.

Round Square Schools can be found in many different countries, including the UK, US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, India, New Zealand, Germany, Thailand, Japan, Switzerland, France and Botswana.

"The International Service projects provide marvellous opportunities for students and teachers to engage in service projects in developing countries," he said.

Mr. Napier added that one such project involves the reconstruction of homes and schools in an area devastated by the tsunami in Southern India.

"The Round Square Schools connection provides an excellent opportunity for our students to expand their horizons on internationalism."

"Such a perspective is of tremendous importance in today's world where countries everywhere share in the often dramatic events set on the world stage, captured readily and vividly by news organisations such as CNN and BBC," he said.

Round Square is a world-wide association of schools on five continents sharing unique and ambitious goals.

Students attending Round Square schools make a strong commitment beyond academic excellence to personal development and responsibility and this is achieved by participating in community service, work projects, exchange programmes and adventuring which often takes students around the world.

The concept is based on the theories of educational philosopher Kurt Hahn who believed that schools should have a greater purpose beyond preparing young people for college and university.

Dr. Hahn believed that it was crucial for students to prepare for life by having them face it head on and experience it in ways that would demand courage, generosity, imagination, principle and resolution.

"As a result, he felt that young people would become empowered and develop the skills and abilities to be the leaders and guardians of tomorrow's world," Mr. Napier said.