From the Head of School

Journeys to Mastery

Schools are mostly a modern invention, but children have always learnt. Most children would learn to farm alongside their parents.  A lucky few would be apprenticed to a trade or craft, going to live with a master who would teach them a skill while they practised it.  The end point of this training was the masterwork, a creation that announced to the world that the apprentice could produce something of independent excellence and was therefore no longer an apprentice, but a master of his or her craft.

Schools broadened education; children now develop many skills and aptitudes.  The prime evidence of mastery has also changed - from an actual piece of work that the community could see to a credential, a certificate of some kind.  Employers ask modern applicants to present their degree certificates, they don’t want to look at the actual work behind them.  They trust the judgements of the awarding authorities and are thereby saved a great deal of time and effort.

Education today is undoubtedly a lot better - it provides many more opportunities for many more people, and develops more rounded citizens.  However, it allows us to confuse evidence and purpose.  Credentials, often expressed at least partly as numbers, are evidence of what we have learnt: because they help us get to university and then start careers, they are also part of the purpose; but really we learn not for a piece of paper but for mastery.

Today, middle and high School parents receive progress reports for their children; elementary school send out reports the week after the break.  When looking at them remember that they are not comments about a final product but works in progress.  It is important to get a clear understanding of how your children are approaching their studies and interacting with their peers and their school community.  

Children will always learn, it is part of being human.  But next week is a chance to take a break and recharge batteries.  Hopefully to get outside and away from computer screens.  Have a great break!