It is my belief that excellent schools should instil three fundamental qualities in their students: scholarship, integrity, and balance. No matter the current state of technology or the demands of the labour market, that which makes one a positive, productive member of society has changed very little over the last century or more. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that the young adults we send out into the world are the best that they can be, and are prepared for whatever future they face. Central to the achievement of this objective are, of course, the people we put in front of our students—their teachers.
Scholarship
To comment on the folly of equating examination outcomes with academic success is passé in modern education, but we are yet to find agreement on what can replace them at scale. Terminal assessments will likely remain a necessary evil for the foreseeable future and we must take a pragmatic approach to ensuring students are well-prepared for them, without squandering opportunities to go beyond the prescribed curriculum. Scholarship, at its core, is rooted in intellectual curiosity—something that is eroded as students progress through institutions with too much focus on examinations. In my view, the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake must be prized and every student should be encouraged to ask “why?” at every opportunity.
Integrity
However it is measured, academic success must not come at the expense of good character. Outstanding pastoral care goes beyond safeguarding students’ welfare and supports them in developing a strong set of values that they have the integrity to live by. That said, prescribing such values is bound to have limited success—particularly in an international environment with varied cultural and social influences. In my view, our role as international educators is to give every student the guidance and forums for discussion they need to establish their own principles, finding an equilibrium between their heritage, their personal beliefs and modern global citizenship.
Balance
My use of the word ‘balance’ in this context refers to each individual student finding the combination of interests and activities (academic and otherwise) that makes them who they are. I began an exploration of this in an article on the perils of pigeon holes and false dichotomies in education, written for the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore’s Orient magazine. Following a brief polemic on the lack of evidence to support the use of VAK ‘learning styles’ in teaching, I discussed the headline-grabbing shift many schools have made toward programmes focused on ‘STEM’, ‘21st Century Skills’ and the like. This has often been to the detriment of the arts in particular—something that I believe to be a tragedy. Every individual must find their own balance and it is incumbent on us to embrace the diversity of our communities, particularly in the international context. We must never pigeonhole students as ‘academic’ or ‘artistic’ or ‘sporty’ or give them any other label. These reinforce outdated false dichotomies and place limits on what children believe they can become.
People
Regardless of the vision and the quality of the sales pitch, a school is ultimately only as good as its teachers. In my opinion an excellent educator is one who is, first and foremost, passionate about what they teach. Whether in a First School homeroom lesson or a Sixth Form subject specialist seminar, it is the teacher’s role to inspire their students and engender that same passion in them. I am not a proponent of prescribed lesson plans and value teachers who are confident and knowledgeable enough to respond to the interests and needs of the class, modelling the scholarship that I described above and instilling it in their charges. I am also an advocate for evidence-informed teaching and believe that all teachers should engage with academic research and professional development to support their practice.