All good things must come to an end, and it’s with a heavy heart that I say the student leadership workshops my friends and I have been conducting at the Penang Free School since 2017 might have come to a close earlier than I had expected. Our last session at the school was in 2023. We took a one-year hiatus after that because one of our core team members was indisposed. Unfortunately, that break disrupted the rhythm and continuity we had built up over the years.
Over the last two weeks, my fellow coach held interview sessions with potential participants from the school’s sixth formers. The first session brought in 11 students. Some were truly outstanding, others just beginning their journey in leadership, hoping to grow in confidence. All spoke well in English, and we were quietly encouraged. We looked forward to the second interview session, hoping to hit a minimum of 16 participants. That was our threshold. Without that number, it would be hard to proceed.
As it turned out, there weren’t enough of them. The school tried to help by including some fourth formers, but my friend felt strongly that mixing cohorts like that wouldn’t work. Too big the age gap risks making the dynamics in group discussions suffer. I trust his judgment. He consulted the headmaster, and together, they agreed to call it off.
His principle has always been clear: quality over numbers. This was never about saying “we did a workshop this year.” Every participant deserved a genuine, high-quality experiential learning journey. And if we couldn’t offer that, we shouldn’t waste anyone’s time, least of all the students’.
So unless something changes in the coming weeks or months, the student leadership workshops may truly be over.
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