From the Head of School

 

A Flourishing Life

Ask an Elementary-aged child what they want to be when they grow up, and the answer will likely be 'teacher', 'vet', 'doctor' or 'nurse'; also popular - sports star, police officer, firefighter, actor, ballerina and pilot, while Youtube star has started hitting the lists as well.  

Few children that age think, ‘what will give me the most money’, most are clearly considering what is important to them, following up their answers with ‘because I like young children’, ‘animals’ ‘helping people', ‘performing’ or ‘playing football’.  Sometimes, they chose the profession of a close relative, thinking that as they are inspired by this person, what they do must be inspiring.

Of course, there is a naivety to children’s choices; they don’t yet know the hard reality of having to pay bills and get ahead in the world.  But there can be a naivety in the opposite view that pay and status are the hard realities of life without consideration of anything else; that as adults we can pick the ideal profession for a child, and then mold them into it.

We not only spend most of our alert waking hours in our jobs, but they also come to define us.  ‘What do you do?’ is one of the first questions we ask a stranger at a social occasion.  We think it says it says something essential about ourselves and others. This is what younger children instinctively realise.

This afternoon, Grades 9s engaged with ‘Careers Investigator’, the first step in thinking about their lives after school and university.  Over the next few weeks, Grade 10s have a series of activities from psychometric tests and interviews with an outside consultant, to talks with subject teachers and visiting professionals.  

Our approach in this is consistent with our philosophy as a school - start with the child; know and connect with them - build from their specific strengths, address their specific weaknesses.  One size does not fit all.  

Education can too easily become just a sorting machine for who gets what jobs - with a hierarchy of professions that all should aspire to.  However, education at its best is about encouraging each individual child to flourish in their own set of talents and interests, and then setting up students for a life in which they can continue to flourish.  As well as paying the bills.