Eugene du Toit, Master of Haileybury, on why humanity matters more than ever in a world run by machines
“People do better when they are supported and inspired and empowered and believed in. Lead with ‘I see you, I believe in you, we can do great things together’ and things happen, in the right way.”
Eugene du Toit is Master of Haileybury, leading around 900 pupils across 500 acres of Hertfordshire. His route into education was anything but conventional. Born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, he read business economics and worked at PwC before realising it wasn't for him and finding his way into the classroom to teach economics. From there came roles at St Paul's, Trinity Croydon and the headship of Wellington School, which he led through Covid, alongside an MA and an MBA at UCL. He is also a serious sportsman who once swam the Channel in a relay to raise money for cancer research. In this conversation, Eugene reflects on what it takes to prepare young people for a world changing faster than anyone can predict, and why the answer lies as much in their character as in their qualifications.
🎙️ Episode highlights
Eugene explains why he sees running a school as both a community and a commercial entity, and why he treats that as a "both, not either or".
He argues that in a world growing more technological by the day, it is the humanity of young people that becomes more important, not less, and calls that balance the million dollar question.
Eugene sets out his clear conviction that there are two ways to get results: through fear, pressure and blame, or through support and belief. He refuses the first.
He reflects on a happy childhood at King Edward's in Johannesburg and why a pupil who genuinely loves being at school is already 90% of the way there.
Eugene shares what swimming the Channel in a relay taught him about himself and his team, on the cold Sundays when the water was rough and it wasn't fun at all.
He makes the case that the best schools educate beyond what can be measured, creating the kind of environment where curiosity, creativity and courage can grow.