HGS were losing 3-0 at half time after a lacklustre first half but kicked into action in the second half. Two goals from Haris Bajwa (9W) in the first 5 minutes saw HGS back in the game. It wasn’t until the last minute of the game that pressure from HGS caused Broadway School to score an own goal after a number of corners, close misses and hit post! In extra time we dominated the game with Arjunveer Bains (9A) scoring in the first half and Jacob Nevey (9N) sealing the game after scoring from a penalty. Grit and determination pulled them back into the game – it just shows you should never stop trying!

 “The Babel fish is small, yellow, leech-like, and probably the oddest thing in the Universe. It feeds on brainwave energy received not from its own carrier, but from those around it. It absorbs all unconscious mental frequencies from this brainwave energy to nourish itself with. It then excretes into the mind of its carrier a telepathic matrix formed by combining the conscious thought frequencies with nerve signals picked up from the speech centres of the brain which has supplied them.

The practical upshot of all this is that if you stick a Babel fish in your ear you can instantly understand anything said to you in any form of language. The speech patterns you actually hear decode the brainwave matrix which has been fed into your mind by your Babel fish.

The poor Babel fish, by effectively removing all barriers to communication between different races and cultures, has caused more and bloodier wars than anything else in the history of creation.”

This description of the Babel Fish, comes from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy written in 1979 by Douglas Adams.

I am now going to do something that I have never done before and thus is a first for me and I suspect might well be a last too:

AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is a form of intelligence exhibited by machines and computer systems. AI mimics cognitive functions such as learning, problem solving, and pattern recognition that are associated with the human mind. AI systems are able to perform tasks such as object recognition, natural language processing, facial recognition, and many more. AI has applications in a wide range of areas including healthcare, manufacturing, research, education, and finance. AI is revolutionizing the way we interact with technology and has the potential to greatly improve our daily lives.

What is so special about that, you may ask? Well, that paragraph was generated in response to the request to explain AI in 100 words…and the request was made to Chatgpt which used artificial intelligence to generate that answer. Until this weekend, I had never used a chatbot before and certainly not to generate one hundred words of a Focus on Education.

The next bit really is me: You will have read the speculation that AI used in this way is both a great thing because users can receive quick answers to questions in the form that they want….and then also the speculation that it will lead to cheating, with students trying to pass off chatbot answers as their own with a huge increase in cases of exam candidates being disqualified for plagiarism.

My personal view is that chatbots will not bring about the end of homework, or writing tasks but they may bring changes. Already, I understand that the output from chatbots will be watermarked so it can be easily detected by software designed to check for plagiarism, so none of us must try to pass chatbot answers off as our own. It may be that the type of tasks that students are set will call for a more personal response but the skill of learning to set out our own thoughts in a well-crafted structured piece of writing, is an important one. It takes time to develop our own style and whilst AI may help us, I do not think it will ever lessen the importance of us learning to independently convey our own understanding in our own words.

However, the extent of the usefulness of AI is yet to be seen. How it helps or hinders us in school and in our wider lives will undoubtedly unfold and so will the changes that come with it. And that has always been the case with technology. Either deliberately or sometimes by accident, individuals have found ways to use science to solve problems. So, for example, Alexander Fleming hadn’t cleaned his petri dishes properly when he left his lab for a holiday. On his return he discovered a mould growing on them but no bacteria was growing around the mould – the mould had killed it. In a clean petri dish, he then grew the mould again- and found that it produced a substance that killed lots of bacteria which we now know as Penicillin, because it is produced by the Penicillium group of moulds. By accident, he had stumbled across Penicillin which has helped to save the lives of huge numbers of people who would otherwise have died from what are now treatable infections.

But those who I particularly admire are the individuals who imagine solutions to problems long before the technology exists to deliver them. Some of you will have read the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, written in 1979 by Douglas Adams. Two characters, Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect are travelling through the universe and come across Babel fish – named after the Tower of Babel in the Bible which supposedly explains why people across the world speak different languages. However, in his story written 44 years ago, Douglas Adams imagined a fish which when placed in the ear has the ability to let the user understand anything said in any form of language, so removing any barriers to communication anywhere in the Universe. 44 years on, I gather scientists have invented earbuds which connect with a phone and will deliver a translation of choice into a user’s ear…a more animal-friendly version of the Babel fish perhaps?

Some of you will spend your lives exploring the science that make these things possible. Others will use the science to develop technological solutions to solve problems – occasionally problems that some of us did not know we had. Being a Force for Good is the important thing. However, the lives of all of us will evolve in response to technology and I think that has always been the case.

Finally, I leave you with this from the chatbot – you can guess the question.

No, artificial intelligence will not replace Headmasters. Headmasters provide an important role of leadership and guidance in schools, and this is something that AI cannot replace. AI can help with some administrative tasks and provide support to teachers, but it will not be able to provide the same level of guidance as a Headmaster.

I hope it is right….

Stay safe and well.

Be kind to yourself and others.

Best wishes,

Dr Bird

On Friday 10^th February 2023, 4 teams of 4 Year 9s accompanied by Mr Jones and Mr Alishah headed to Birmingham University for the annual ‘Big Quiz’. The quiz consisted of 6 rounds and a word search, split over 3 sessions.

Session 1:  The quiz started with the word search at about 10:15am. We found ourselves deliberating over calories, joules and other physical vocabulary; there were questions which we had to answer and then find the answers on the word search.

Session 2: In session 2 the actual quiz started; this session consisted of 3 rounds and we were introduced to our two quiz masters: Professor David Evans and Dr Rob Smith. They were funny, which helped lighten the atmosphere. The first 3 rounds were ‘Heat’, ‘Light’ and ‘What am I?’ We had the option of using a Joker which doubles a round’s score. Unfortunately, my team wasted it on the first round which didn’t go too well for us!

Session 2: After lunch (at 12pm) and a lecture on Nuclear Power by Professor P Norman, we had the next 3 rounds: ‘Who am I?’, ‘Electromagnetism’ and ‘Quantum Physics’. The last round, although a complex topic, was actually one of the easiest rounds as we had been told about this topic in advance and so most of us had spent some time preparing for it.

Aariz, 9W

The final scores were very close on this occasion and, unfortunately, we narrowly missed out on a podium place.  However, the team consisting of Anoop, Arash, Manjit and Mohammed did win one of the ‘Spot prizes’, which were awarded for close estimation of physical quantities. 

Some of you will start a month of fasting for Ramadan on Thursday 23 March 2023 (subject to the sighting of the new moon).  This is, no doubt, a special time for you and your families.  It is great that you are showing such dedication to your faith and keeping hold of a traditional practice that many other faiths also recognise.  Part of the purpose of the month is to bring people and communities together, and we hope that the month brings you much happiness, benefit and increase.  Please do remember, however, that your commitment to school and your education needs also to continue.  To help you with this, a few practical tips/reminders follow:

• The longer day fasts will require you to go without food and drink for many hours. You must be best prepared for this by making sure you take something of good nutritional value in the pre-dawn meal before you close and make the intention to fast.  Cereals, yogurt, dates, wholemeal bread, vegetables, fresh fruit are amongst some of the healthy/slow release carbohydrate foods that will keep you satisfied for longer.
• Following on from this during the school day avoid running or standing around in the sun. Try to find some shade and occupy yourself in low energy activities.
• It is very important that you continue to come to school prepared to learn. Lessons will happen as normal.  Your teachers may make slight adjustments in some of the practical subjects for you but you should come fully prepared to take part with the correct equipment/kit.
• In the same way you must also wear the correct school uniform. Obviously if it is very hot, you may be allowed to take your blazers off, your form tutors will advise you about that.  However, some students during Ramadan feel that they need to wear mosque caps/hats.  We understand that this may be recommended at certain times/places but it is not a religious requirement for you to wear these in and around school.
• The real significance of this month is about self-discipline and working on improving your character. It is not just a case of going without food for long hours.  Working on honesty, truthfulness, charity, forgiveness, respect etc… are some of the positive character traits that become the focus of this month.  This is something that the school whole heartedly supports in its care values, and we hope that in some way we can all benefit from this.
• With the upcoming shorter nights, longer days and late-night prayers many of you will get less sleep than usual but you will still be expected to attend school punctually as normal. Therefore, some readjustment to your routine will be needed to help with this.  Like in some traditional cultures you should try to catch up on some sleep after school in order to re-energise for the rest of the day/fast.  It might take a few days for this to settle but it is a sensible way forward.
• It is also the case that many of you will be taking important internal exams/studies during Ramadan. While we wholeheartedly support your commitment to fasting, we also ask you to uphold the duty of taking your studies seriously – educational success is also something important to the religion of Islam.  During your school days, it is crucial that you develop a positive routine around fasting, prayers, revision and study.  Remember also if you are not feeling well then there is the chance of making up the fasts at a later date.  If you become unwell whilst you are fasting then you should end the fast by taking some water.
• In the event of hot weather, it is obviously important that you remain hydrated but without food or drink. This is a challenge which most of you will have experienced having fasted in previous years.  Small things like washing your hands with cold water, wiping over the face/head with cold water will help keep you cool.  This should be done at break and lunchtimes.
• If you are unwell and unable to attend school then you should follow the normal absence procedures. Ask your parents to phone the front office and inform them on the day about your circumstances preferably before 8:40am.
• Remember also that one of the strengths of HGS is the broad cultures and faith groups represented in both our student and staff populations. This is something quite special for the School.  So, while those of you who fast will need time/space to practice your faith please do remember that the Dining Hall will remain open and most people will continue to eat and drink throughout the day and they too will need time/space to do so!
• We ask students to do their prayers when they get home after school. You will have plenty of time to complete the afternoon prayer when you get home during the month of Ramadan once British Summer Time begins on 26 March 2023.

We wish you a happy and prosperous Ramadan.  Do take some moments to reflect on the importance of peace and reconciliation for the globe especially in the current hostilities that we are seeing.  The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: “Shall I inform you of something that holds more weight than fasting, praying and giving charity? Making peace between people, for sowing dissension is calamitous.”

If you do have any further questions or comments then you are welcome to speak to Mr Mohammed (room 10).