Freedom , and , mind thus set alive , took up Donald L Miller ’ s account of Grant ’ s defining campaign along the Mississippi , Vicksburg . Amidst the former , I read in awe of Lincoln ’ s wisdom and strength in articulating such value axiom when countering secessionist claims of the ‘ virtues ’ of southern slavery over the wage slaves of the north and perils of free labour : ‘ I want every man to have the chance . . . in which he can better his condition ’. In Vicksburg , Grant ’ s trials and bedevilments in pursuit of victory amidst the changing course , disease and endless meanderings of the Mississippi and its bayous evoke strong image of just how complex such viruses are to contain and unpick once they have been allowed to take hold .
At Scotch , our foundations are established on our Christian faith . They take educational form in our foundational teaching and learning principle : The inherent dignity and value of each person ; and our foundational teaching and learning question : How did the world evolve to be as it is and how might it be made to evolve for the greater good ? They are given currency in our four planning themes : Personalisation , Diversity , Enterprise ( the blending of social and economic ) and Sustainability . So armed , we continue to question and explore the balance of harmony and advancement , striving to meet Baldwin ’ s frame of reference challenge and our need for enterprise .
Reflecting on that which has been learnt during periods of lockdown , matters arise across three groups : new ideas , change already in train and given acceleration by the times and practices brought strongly to mind by their absence . I offer 10 such thoughts . 1 . Delivery of curriculum and qualification : I suspect the most significant impact on the education industry will be in the area of curriculum , assessment and qualification . This is essentially an acceleration of an existing journey .
2 . Diversity of course / qualification providers : I suspect we are going to see the continued acceleration of online short course qualification , with all elements of the sector seeking foothold in the market .
3 . Renaissance of a liberal education : I very much hope the relative inability of the online world to engage beyond the immediate will usher a renaissance of those aspects that form the foundations of a liberal education and schools of such tradition .
4 . Growth of cluster groups built on interest and diversity of talent : The breaking of direct lines of oneto-one influence and the advancement of independent cluster groups around shared interest and the diverse skills necessary for its exploration will accelerate .
5 . Student voice : Awareness and promotion of the increased power of , in our case , boys ’ voice , is one of the great learnings of these times . Boys have had greater independence and control over their learning and this has seen many flourish . Scotch boys have enjoyed video access to key explanations they can return to at their leisure , and being able to access the differing explanations and methods of different teachers .
6 . Differentiation at point of need : Could we remotely influence and assist individual boys while they are in class ?
7 . Popularisation of teaching and learning : Willingly or otherwise , parents have become more involved in the education process . Could we build on this and better prepare them ? Parents have , perhaps , also been reminded that a key function of schools is to get children away from the home to experience other frames of reference .
8 . Quantum of solace : Amidst it all , we have been reminded that whilst Scotch thrives on its busyness , there is need for time out : boys have enjoyed opportunity to reflect , gather thoughts , discuss , refine opinions and be immersed in artistic and physical enrichment .
9 . Sustainability : Being reminded of the impact of natural disasters focuses thoughts on their prevention and mitigation .
10 . Our condition : To what extent is learning an individual pursuit and to what extent is it communal , and how will increased time learning alone affect our relationship with the world and those with whom we share it ?
Perhaps , this last point is the most significant . We have discovered , that , for much of what we have increasingly been telling ourselves is important , face to face human contact is far from necessary . Its absence , however , limits interaction , discussion , critique and consensus and starts to impact on how we see ourselves in relation to each other ’ s frames of reference . If we restrict , to raw form , our observation of each other and allow it to be doctored and artificially refined , we limit our understanding of each other , and that which makes us different and of unique value .
It is important that the goal of the harmony / advancement balance is kept in mind . McPherson notes , that having had Lee sign the papers of surrender , Grant introduced him to his staff and that as Lee shook hands with Grant ’ s military secretary Ely Parker , a Seneca Native American , he said , ‘ I am glad to see one real American here ’, to which Parker replied , ‘ We are all Americans ’.
Pursuit of the balance is an ongoing quest and for the means of its best prosecution , I return to Lincoln : ‘ Upon the subject of education , not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it , I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in .’ www . scotch . vic . edu . au Great Scot 5