Ever since Beth and I started looking at secondary schools for Charlie, who graduated from The Country School in June, I have enjoyed the opportunity to hear other school heads talk about what they see as the critical elements of an education today. We recently attended Parents Weekend at St. Andrew's and heard Headmaster Tad Roach address what he called the school's "essential commitments... to inspire our students to lives of service, creativity, kindness, and leadership."
Tad's first point was that education is the most important solution to all problems of the 21st Century. He sees education "as an invitation to citizenship, to leadership, to a life informed by judicious and thoughtful consideration of the most essential questions facing humanity." Yet in this age of high stakes testing, quantifiable accountability, a "dumbed down" curriculum and the serving of individual ambition, education must "awaken our students to life-long commitments to intellectual curiosity, thoughtfulness, and creativity." If we allow education to become petty and provincial, that is what our students will become.
In addition, Roach believes that education must be a source of the community values that have so transformed our nation over the past few decades. He noted that in the lifetime of current high school parents "we have seen prejudice and discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, social class, ability, sexual orientation, and age collapse as the dogmas of hatred, exclusion, and power have given way to a deep respect and reverence for difference, for diversity, for human rights." Students have been born into the most enlightened of ages. By creating a culture of engagement and respect, schools can help "students take moral and spiritual strength to a world in need of kindness, compassion, empathy, and understanding."
Third, Roach discussed research, which I have also cited, which finds that schools and parents serve students well when they help develop "grit, resilience, and perseverance." Researchers are debunking "the unfortunate American assumption that it is natural talent and intelligence that lead to success." Often times the experience of failure is critical to success and the development of perseverance, persistence, fortitude, and resilience, all essential 21st Century traits.
Fourth, Roach cites compelling research I have also written about that suggests that happiness and fulfillment in life is dependent on asking big questions and pursuing a larger purpose "than the satisfaction of our own individual needs... If education fails to awaken students to a search for meaning, a way to connect meaningfully to problems, dilemmas and opportunities in our world, we will continue to find students turning to alcohol/drugs or other mindless forms of distraction and entertainment."
Fifth, consistent with Country School values, schools need to nurture a "culture of integrity" rather than "a culture of resume building and strategic learning… that seeks success and advantage at any cost." Alongside this, schools must "assert a gender vision that honors the full complementary collaboration of men and women." Finally, schools must promote and "assert the power and the vitality of an alcohol/drug free culture" for teens that is not "corrosive to the people they are about to be."
I found the way that Roach expanded on each of these points to be fascinating, thought-provoking, and right. I returned to our campus inspired by the breadth and boldness of his vision.