Bunbury High School Motto

En avant is the school motto. Pronounced on ah von it is French and means ‘forward’ or, ‘in front' depending on the context in which it is used. A motto in French instead of Latin was recognition at the time of a modern education curriculum as distinct from a classical curriculum. French was the international language at that time. It was the diplomatic language.

En avant is a command or an injunction to go forward, move to the front, lead. In the military, avant-gard is the advanced guard, those soldiers out front taking risks, leading the rest.

The application of the motto to education is limited only by our imagination - to push the frontiers, the boundaries of knowledge, investigate the unknown, seek to know. To go forward to the front and lead, requires knowledge, confidence, initiative, flexibility and multiple skills. It requires the ability to think for yourself when confronted with a problem; all attributes students needed then but even more importantly now. particularly in the unknown future.

Since the School was established in 1918 it has lived its motto. It has gone forward and led the way in providing secondary education opportunities.