Complete Education

As I listened last Tuesday morning at the Headmaster's Gathering to the accounts of the various trips and tours that had taken place during Spring Break, I could not help but feel again a certain re-inforcement of our approach that a complete education involves much more than just the classroom, hugely important though that venue may be. Giving the academic piece pre-eminence in the school experience can be done while still achieving all the other strands that we are looking for to complete that experience. It's all about balance, moderation, co-operation and control.

If we are indeed educating people and not just names then we have to be interested : in how their character and values are developing, in their behaviours and deportments and in their attitudes to themselves and others. Teachable moments and learning experiences are to be found everywhere, but the key is to have the facilitators of the teaching and learning around. That's where schools that don't end with the last class come in. Then, if the learning arena moves with the tour groups to South Wales, London or Buenos Aires, or with the E.D.G.E. group to Thailand, there's a whole cultural component added - a world view. There's definitely something about "travel broadening the mind!!"