Updating Our Mission Statement
In 1880, the UK Parliament passed a law making education compulsory for every child between the ages of 5 and 13.
At that time, MPs weren’t paid, and nearly all were independently wealthy - their own children went to fee paying schools: yet they had voted to use the tax they paid to build schools for other people’s children. Nevertheless it was, as they themselves recognised, an act of self-interest.
MPs had two worries. Germany had introduced compulsory education eight years earlier, and was industrialising fast; new and complex technologies were emerging: from chemicals to cars. Without an educated workforce, how would Britain compete? The other was that the vote was being extended to more and more people. These new citizens needed an education to be responsible and effective.
Essentially, three things were agreed: 1. Every child would be educated. 2. They would all learn basic literacy and numeracy skills. 3. They would be taught in a certain way. Schools would have clocks and bells, and rigid discipline. Children would be told when to speak, eat and go to the toilet. They would graduate from the discipline of school to the discipline of factories or citizen armies.
Our societies have changed enormously in the last 150 years; it would be a nonsense to offer the same preparation to join it. Yet that is what many schools do: they are so busy thinking about ‘what they teach’ they don’t look up and think, ‘who’ and ‘why’.
Over the last few months, that is what ISA has been doing. Our present guiding statements are not quite nineteenth century but they still pre-date the 21st. So we have been working on a new one. It starts with a mission that includes statements of who we are, what we do, and what we strive to achieve. We won’t confirm it until the end of the year, but this is what it looks like at the moment:
International School Aberdeen is a kind and inclusive community of reflective global citizens in Northeast Scotland. We provide a broad education of a high quality with multiple pathways to success. We aim for every student to develop their personal wellbeing and academic abilities so that they thrive in, and positively contribute to, each of their communities.
It not only defines what we teach (a broad curriculum including languages, the Arts and Design), but how we teach and how we relate to each other. We are not looking to produce obedient factory workers, but active global citizens. Our students are self aware so that they can be considerate of others; they actively engage with new information, so they can respond flexibly to a changing world; they apply their learning, because to master we have to practise.
What ISA offers isn’t compulsory; it’s a very good choice though.
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