FROM THE HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL
Looking forward – the next 125 years and the ‘ Future School ’
In a conversation with our Principal recently , we were reflecting on how often at school we report back on ‘ what has been ’, but that we probably don ’ t spend enough time giving adequate consideration or having conversations about ‘ what lies ahead ’.
In an edition such as this , there is certainly the need to honour and celebrate many of the wonderful people and events that have contributed to the wonderful tapestry that is Guildford Grammar School ’ s history . However , the marking of the School ’ s 125th anniversary may also be a critical point to consider how the future of the School may need to exist to ensure it provides its students with the experiences they need to thrive in a changing world .
In recently reading about the ‘ future schools ’ phenomena , I have been drawn to the work of Valerie Hannon , who presented the 2020 Australian Learning Lecture for the Koshland Education Innovation Institute and has also recently published the book , Thrive : The Purpose of Schools in a Changing World ( 2021 ) with Amelia Peterson . In presenting ideas about the future of education , Hannon and Peterson highlight that there is strong consensus from scientists , analysts and futurists that the current environmental , technological , demographic , socio-political and economic shifts we currently see provide a real and present impetus for us to consider the purpose of schools .
“ If taken together , they show that a scale of disruption our species and planet face is so profound that the risk of not changing outweighs doing nothing . Changes are needed so future generations are prepared to deal with these shifts – or better still to shape them ” ( Hannon & Peterson , 2021 ).
There are parallels between Hannon and Peterson ’ s work , with another of the world ’ s pre-eminent education thinkers , Michael Fullan , whose article The battle of the century : Catastrophe versus evolutionary nirvana highlights that :
“ The present in-your-face destruction for humankind combines climate collapse and the social fissure of ever-increasing inequality ”. ( Fullan , 2019 )
Previous themes of education have always been centred on ‘ how ’ and ‘ what ’ to teach rather than focusing on the ‘ what for ?’
Previous themes of education have always been centred on ‘ how ’ and ‘ what ’ to teach rather than focusing on the ‘ what for ?’ Where previously education that created a productive and efficient workforce capable of making a positive contribution to the economy had been part of the political dialogue , it is now clear that if we take a ‘ world view ’ this is not going to generate what our young people or our planet need .
I certainly feel that in our context as members of the Guildford Grammar School community
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