Prague British School gets royal treatment

By Michael Finnigan

For the Post

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Prague 4, children from Prague British School huddled together among a sea of Union Jacks and brightly colored balloons. Moments before the freezing wind threatened to send everyone back inside, five jet-black cars hurtled onto the driveway, and the silence broke into a cacophony of cheers and whoops.

This was the moment Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II, arrived at Prague British School (PBS) to congratulate the students on their successful completion of the International Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE).

The programs take between one and four years to complete and have three levels, which lead to bronze, silver and gold awards. Each level is more demanding than the last and lucky schools are occasionally treated to a royal visit.

"It's been a huge privilege having a senior member of the royal family visit our school," said Tim Roberts, head of Senior School at PBS, while waiting for the prince to arrive.

"The children have been wildly excited in the run-up to today, and it's been hard to contain them. Some believe he is going to appear wearing a crown, and the older girls are hoping he might whisk them away on a white horse. But they all have a real fascination with the British royal family, and we are over the moon they have recognized our hard work," he says.

However, the prince was not the real star of the show, Roberts explained. It is the students, who have spent the past year working tirelessly and at great personal expense to complete the award. He pointed out that the DofE isn't merely a scheme about personal development, but one that is deeply rooted in volunteer work.

Matthew Williams, Duke of Edinburgh's International Award leader and PE/business studies teacher, concurs. "The DofE participants at PBS have really taken the volunteering opportunity to heart this year and have organized a variety of activities for the kids at Klokánek Children's Home," he says.

"Not only did they give the Klokánek children the opportunity to attend our school's events, like the Halloween Disco and Fireworks Night, but they also raised enough money to take them to Prague Zoo. The venture was funded entirely through their volunteer work, and many of the kids even gave up their weekends to go along. It's moments like these where the DofE really shines."

Prince Edward was given a tour of the school by members of staff and had the opportunity to engage with the children and their work. He was such a hit with one little girl that a burly security guard had to remove her from his leg, to everyone's amusement. Staff joked she would end up in the Tower of London before the day was out.

The prince was then treated to various piano recitals, artwork and even a medley of songs from the production of Fiddler on the Roof the students are currently working on.

The first speech came from James Cunningham and Alexander Fanin, two DofE students who are currently working toward their gold award by volunteering at the Klokánek School and taking part in the debate team.

"We are here today to talk to you about the fun and rewarding aspects of the DofE final expedition," Fanin said. "The award will develop you as a person and as a team," he said. "It will challenge you to the limits like nothing you will ever have experienced before, but it is a challenge I believe every young person should undertake."

"The award took me to tiny villages in Bohemia, fields where I was chased by deer, and in one bizarre moment, where two bikini-clad women rode by on horses. It's was an experience I will never forget," he said.

Cunningham went on to stress the importance of being prepared for your journey and joked that the final expedition was no place for Jimmy Choo shoes or Louis Vuitton bags. He explained how facing these difficult moments head-on had helped to prepare him for challenges he expected to face later in life. But most of all, he reminded the audience that the DofE would leave participants with memories that would last a lifetime.

When the prince eventually took the stand, he tried to recall what it was about the scheme that had made him a man.

"As you say, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award will leave you with memories that will last a lifetime," he says. "When I did mine, in Scotland, one of my teammates brought brown bread, a lemon and a large amount of smoked salmon. I on the other hand had a box of raw eggs, which I still had on the return journey."

"It is great memories like these that stay with you, and I am sure anyone who has completed the award can attest to that. It also shows you that you're more capable than you might have thought, and it certainly impacted on the man I am today. I just hope that James and Alexander became men without the help of the two young ladies," he said.

Prince Edward left as quickly as he arrived, but his visit will prove to be yet another memory for the DofE students and one that will have confirmed all of their hard work.

Michael Finnegan can be reached at features@praguepost.com