MS Features: The ACS principal who is a podcaster in his spare time
Being a school principal, Gavin Kinch is no stranger to conversations about university applications.
However, moving to Singapore from Australia in 2017 meant he had to develop a good understanding of National Service (NS) for the sake of the parents and graduating students at ACS (International).
“NS is certainly on their minds,” said Mr Kinch, who is now the face of a new video podcast, ‘The Call up’.
Through honest conversations with NSFs, NSmen, and even parents, he hopes to provide what he calls a “bird’s eye view” of enlistment. And he aims to send a message that NS is bigger than just the two years.
Uses podcasting experience to start one about NS
Mr Kinch, who has been in the education industry for more than 20 years, is also no stranger to the podcasting world.
In 2024, he launched the first episode of ‘The Global Ed Podcast’ spotlighting various educators across the globe.
Now in its third season, Mr Kinch has nailed down his production process to a T. Though he still spends about 15 hours of his spare time on just one episode.
Source: The DEEP Education Network on YouTube
The effort is well worth it, though. His podcast lends a voice to inspirational educators trying to make it work in the toughest of environments.
Think: Schools in war-torn Ukraine and Syria, and the incredible story of an Indonesian woman who started a school in the landfills of Bantar Gebang.
For his new podcast series about NS, however, the school principal has the help of several talented Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) students.
Source: Ministry of Defence Singapore on YouTube
“They were wonderful to work with… and obviously very skilled in what they were doing,” said Mr Kinch. He shared that the students were mainly involved in the filming and editing process.
That left him free to focus on hosting and producing the four-part video podcast series about NS created by MINDEF.
Understanding National Service
Mr Kinch’s interest in NS came out of a need to understand it for his graduating students and their parents.
“In order to serve my students and their families better, I had to have a greater understanding of what it meant and its implications,” he said to MS News.
Mr Kinch admitted that even though he’s lived in Singapore for nearly 10 years, he is still a foreigner. As such, it was all the more important for him to learn as much as he can about National Service.
It was important for him to approach conversations about NS from a place of knowledge. Especially when speaking to parents about their children’s futures.
“They see the value [in NS], they see it as a rite of passage for their children,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean they don’t have questions about how it works.”
These questions range from when their child will be called up, to how the school is helping its students prepare for NS.
‘The Call Up’ podcast was a way to answer these questions while also involving the parents.
‘The Call Up’ lends a voice to NSFs, NSmen, and parents
In episode one, Mr Kinch speaks to three NSFs who share their first-hand experiences with Basic Military Training (BMT).
Meanwhile, episodes two and four feature more experienced NSmen and regulars.
Episode three stands out, however, in that it includes a panel of civilians. These are parents of students who have gone or are going to NS.
Source: Ministry of Defence Singapore on YouTube
“One of the groups we were interested in hearing from are people who are perhaps new to Singapore,” said Mr Kinch.
For him, bringing together these different perspectives was the best way to explain what National Service means for them and their child.
“It’s bigger than just the two years that you serve,” he said.
It’s something that you carry with you throughout your life as a Singaporean.
ACS principal hopes podcast can assure parents and pre-enlistees
Of all the stories he heard, Mr Kinch pointed out a few standout moments.
These include how easily people can bond over the shared experience of NS. And how it also creates a bond that spans generations.
At the end of it all, Mr Kinch hopes that the podcast can paint a better picture of NS from start to finish.
Mr Kinch said that students and parents have recognised him from the new video series. Some even asked if he has made a career switch from education.
However, he tells MS News that podcasting is a passion project for now.
Mr Kinch continues to share stories of inspiring educators around the world in his free time.
But serving his school and guiding his students towards bright futures remains his focus.
Those interested in watching or listening to ‘The Call Up’ can do so on YouTube, where all the episodes are now live.
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Featured image by MS News. Photography by Ngo Huy Toan and adapted from Ministry of Defence on YouTube and YouTube.
