What started as a small trial for a handful of MLC School girls, quickly took on much greater proportions when more than 80 Year 9, Year 10 and Year 11 girls signed up to join with Newington College in an inaugural combined Cadets program. This is the first time in MLC School history that Cadets has been available to girls from Year 9 onwards.
Head of Senior School, Mr Neil Scotney, says, ‘As a school, MLC School has a strong history in empowering young women and being one of the first schools in Australia to offer girls the same level of education as boys, it was a natural progression that we allow girls the opportunity to take part in the Schools Cadets Program. We are always proud of the way an MLC School girl embraces new challenges and Cadets provides the perfect platform for them to push the limits and further unpack our school values of courage, compassion, respect and growth.’
The program provides girls with exciting and challenging opportunities to move outside of their comfort zone, work effectively in teams and develop individual character and leadership skills.
The cadet training program works within the structures and values of the Australian Defence Force. It is exciting and varied, and encompasses a range of activities such as scuba diving, rock climbing, abseiling, archery, bush navigation and camp craft. There are also leadership courses offered which are progressive in nature and teach the girls valuable life skills. The successful completion of these courses results in promotion to a higher rank. There is also an annual camp and a promotions camp.
Esther Maling, an MLC School Old Girl and the MLC School Senior Sports Coordinator, is the Cadets Coordinator. Esther says, “It is an amazing opportunity and demonstrates that MLC School provides every chance for our girls to challenge and grow within any area of interest.
“I believe it is important that a female leads the unit as a role model and familiar face, as there will be times that the girls are really challenged as females in a male-dominated field.
“I finished school in 2010 and would definitely have been a cadet if it had been available. My sister, who finished in 2012, is now a Logistics Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, and she would have jumped at the chance to have an insight into cadet life during high school.”
Friday 14 February 2020 was the first official MLC School Cadet Unit training at Newington College. The girls met their Sergeants and Cadet Under Officers (CUOs) and the rest of the cadets in platoons for the first time. They spent time doing drill, learnt basic marching, and lined up for uniform checks. Cadet drills continued under flexible learning as much as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
MLC School’s mission is to educate young women to be fearless thinkers, with moral courage and compassion to be agents […]