Nov 18

Globally competent thinking

Every time I visit Hong Kong, I leave feeling impressed and humbled by the city and the region. Geographically, it must be one of the most beautiful natural harbours in the world, and the feats of human engineering which have situated almost unfeasibly high buildings on hillsides, created high octane container terminals and developed a speedy network of road and rail, bridges and tunnels, are, quite simply, stunningly ingenious. Above all, though, I always feel welcomed and in safe human hands when I am there; I am committed to and enjoy contributing to the vision of DSHK (Dalton School Hong) and I believe in the people who are taking this forward.

As a guest and visitor, it is not for me to comment on the events of the past few months, and the heightened tensions of the past week in particular, but I do know from seeing and speaking with many Hong Kong residents how this is an incredibly hard time for them. It is tearing families and communities apart, and creating levels of anxiety and concern that have no comparisons in the region within living memory. Faced with this, what can we, as educators, do?

Hong Kong in snapshot; ancient hills, colonial past and modern living

Well, this is not an easy question to answer. Who are we, with our own personal slivers of understanding of the world, to decree what those around us should learn, and how they should grow? On what grounds do we set ourselves up as experts in ‘what children need to know’? The truth is that as individuals, we really don’t have that legitimacy. The more well-read we are, the more we have educated ourselves about education, and the more we have considered, carefully and thoughtfully, what we believe and why, the more likely it is that we will approach what might turn out to be as right or good an answer as it is possible or practical to achieve … but there are an awful lot of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ implied in this assumption. Working with other educators is another step towards finding the answer we seek – provided that they represent diverse perspectives and are prepared to challenge our unconscious biases (and we theirs). And, of course, the more we can open our minds to the differences that mark our personal, collective, social and cultural views of the world, the more successful we are likely to be in at least finding a justifiably reasonable direction of travel in our quest.

Is it a sign of my own personal bias that I keep returning to this notion of ‘global competence’ as one of the core keys to help us support children and young people in their education and personal development? Undoubtedly! But I would also argue that it is a well-grounded pragmatic philosophical direction which clearly resonates strongly with parents, educators and young people themselves, so I will continue to promote it, passionately, as my contribution to the debate (recognising that it is just that – a contribution), and to the search for how to educate our young people in testing times.

Dr Helen Wright is the author of Powerful Schools: how schools can be drivers of social and global mobility. Her new book, The Globally Competent School: a manual, will be published on Amazon very shortly. Watch this space …

Nov 13

Daring to think differently about children and their behaviour

The biggest frustration I confess I have with Facebook is that it has an uncanny knack of hiding interesting information which I have seen once, and want to revisit, but can’t, because somehow it has disappeared from my feed. It may be my settings, or it may be the algorithm, but the upshot is the same – I can’t always get back to what I have seen, unless I save it immediately. If you have any suggestions about how I can change this, do say – but really, you have better things to do! Anyway, bear with me in this article, because my embarrassment lies not in the fact that I still use Facebook, but more importantly in the fact that I cannot credit the original authors of the comments I want to highlight.

In summary, the following two ideas popped into my feed a few days ago, and they struck me as worthy of sharing, not least in their juxtaposition:

Idea 1:
‘an apparently well-behaved child may not actually be good at self-regulating, but might in fact just be afraid’.

Idea 2:
‘neurology teaches us that children are not badly behaved – they are doing the best in the circumstances they find themselves in, and with the tools they have at their disposal.’

Obviously I am summarising … thanks, Facebook … but – gosh! What if we entertained these two thoughts? How much might this resonate with teachers and families? How about if we could see challenging behaviour as an indication of something that we – as adults or as society in general – are causing, rather than as a deficit on the part of the children themselves? What might this mean for our interaction with, and understanding of, children and young people?

If we strive to have in place a truly student-centred approach to education in our world – education in its broadest sense – then surely the more we embrace (and support) the notion of ‘individualness’, the better. This does not imply that children – or any individual – can simply do as they please, if it harms others, but it does imply that each child has a unique combination of traits, experiences and skills which will lead them to act in certain ways in response to specific stimuli … and maybe it is these stimuli we should be focusing on first, rather than the children themselves. If we can help children understand their responses – in the least judgemental fashion possible – and if we can support them by doing what we can to reduce the stimuli and build their response ‘toolkits’, then might this not make an enormous difference.

At the very least, isn’t it worth trying …?

Nov 04

The art of chairing

One thing I have learned in my several roles, past and present, as a non-executive Chair is that there is no such thing as a perfect meeting, merely meetings that are imperfect to a lesser or greater degree. Nor is there a perfect relationship to be built with the CEO/Executive Director or equivalent, but rather a constant navigation and negotiation of roles and perspectives. Tensions – good tensions for the most part, hopefully – are part and parcel of the role. In fact, I am not quite sure what the ideal or ‘perfection’ might look like, given the almost infinite permutations of shapes and directions that all these dynamics have.

What I have found, though, is that it is important constantly to interrogate these dynamics and to reflect on what to aspire to. A few resources which I have found useful (and continue to find useful) are:

  • Underpinning everything, however, are the 7 Principles of Public Life (published in the Nolan Report). These 7 principles – Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty and Leadership – are an incredibly helpful ethical guide to how to behave on boards, and while they cannot provide clear actions to be taken in every situation, they certainly provide clear signposts, and having them very visible in boards is enormously helpful … in fact, I would argue that these are essential. It is not always easy to balance them all, but if the chair does not at least try, then the board will not succeed in its remit.   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-7-principles-of-public-life/

We are always learning in life; and learning is easier when we share. Do share your ‘go-to’ sources …

Oct 28

Random acts of kindness

The petals on the flower in this photo may be curling and fading slightly now, as it gradually wilts in a vase in our hallway, but every time I see it, I smile. For this flower was given to me in a random act of kindness by a stranger as I crossed Dean Bridge in Edinburgh the other day, and I am reminded of this kindness whenever I catch a glimpse of it. And with this smile comes a flood of gratitude, for whenever someone does something unexpectedly kind, it can – and should! – release our gratitude.

Gratitude is a great gift to receive – it lifts the heavy mantle of individuality that keeps us locked into a cycle of thinking that we alone are the ones who can determine our destiny, when in fact in our interconnected world we need to be able to rely on others, and to accept what they have to offer, if we are to thrive. In turn, if we do the same, then together we form a virtuous upward spiral that benefits us all. It is, quite simply, good to be kind …

Random or not, acts of kindness bring gratitude and joy … make them part of your day!

Oct 22

Inspiring Learning – lessons in assessment

A hugely enjoyable day on Saturday at the Huili Institute of Learning ‘Inspiring Learning’ Forum in Shanghai – thank you to Wellington College in China for organising it! Bringing together teachers and leaders from across Shanghai, the rest of China, and further afield too – Abu Dhabi and the U.K., to name but two – the aim of the forum was to prompt thinking and discussion about contemporary issues in education … and it certainly met its goal. What a thought-provoking day!

Amongst the stimulating speakers was Professor Rob Coe of Durham University, who took us through contemporary thinking on assessment … and his key message was that we have a lot, lot more thinking to do about assessment if we are to be able to use it effectively to support – and drive – student learning. Assessment tasks should ideally elicit precise information which enables the teacher to take action that will create learning opportunities in the future. The precision of the assessment purpose and format (and our understanding of what the outcome of the assessment really means) really matters – not always, of course, especially if the purpose of the assessment is simply to motivate students to learn, but in most cases it really does. And as part of this understanding, educators need to have a very sophisticated grasp of the prerequisites, precursors and successors of specific learning objectives … and – above all – time to reflect on all of this.

Professor Rob Coe speaking at the Huili Institute of Learning

Time … this was the real message that came out of Professor Coe’s musings. If teachers are truly going to support their learnings, they need to have time to reflect, and to consider what their students have or haven’t learned, and why, and what, these students might best benefit from. One of his messages was that ‘good feedback causes thinking’, and it is obvious, if we pause and step back, that this applies just as much to teachers as it does to students. Yet time to think is often the first thing to disappear in a teacher’s day, what with the pressure of racing through a predetermined curriculum, with umpteen classes and reams of paperwork … ‘so much to do, so little time’ is the perennial cry of the teacher, after all. Without focused, dedicated time, however – and exposure to the kinds of professional insights which forums like Saturday’s provide – then how can teachers really, really provide our young people with the quality of education that they deserve, and that will enable them to thrive?

New half term’s resolution … take time.

Oct 08

Amazing student experience: lessons from the independent sector

It was a huge, huge pleasure last night to announce the awards to schools at the Independent Schools of the Year Awards in London, in my capacity as the chair of the judging panel. And what a lovely evening it was, courtesy of Independent School Parent magazine, who so generously supported the awards and who are acting as real champions of schools, telling the stories of achievement, joy and success which emerge from hard-working schools.

What was really, really clear last night was the positive impact that independent schools have on the lives of young people across our country, both in their own schools and beyond, in all types of schools, not to mention on the lives of the thousands more who are educated in British independent schools internationally, across the world. As I said last night, independent schools are carrying a flag of great educational practice, embedded in strong values and a belief in the power of all young people. And as we heard in many of the stories of the awards, independent schools are working tirelessly with their local community and with other schools, to develop their students as active citizens, able to make meaningful contributions to society and the world. 

What was special about last night’s awards is that they celebrate the core of what education really is all about – to ensure a positive, all round student experience, enabling children and young people to flourish – as in the inspiring story of last night’s ‘Rising Star’, a student whose utter and relentlessly positive determination to recover from brain injury was nurtured and amplified by his school, who went above and beyond in order to support him. These awards were not about grades – although in schools where students are truly enabled to thrive, and encouraged tirelessly from every single angle, academic success will follow. In great schools, young people always, always come first.

So – congratulations to all the shortlisted schools, finalists and winners last night – your students are in amazing hands!

Sep 30

Bathing in the energy of the Early Years staffroom

Over the past few weeks, I have had the privilege of listening to and talking with Early Years teachers in 4 different schools, spread across 3 different countries, on 2 different continents, and the experience has been absolutely energising. Long gone should be the days when Early Years is seen as a nice cosy little corner of the school, where children are contained before being released to ‘real’ school, but sadly this severely outdated perception persists in staffrooms across the country – and globe. In reality, however, Early Years teachers can be some of the most adaptable and child-centred teachers a school has the privilege to possess, and their engagement with the lives and all-round development of the children in their care can be amongst the most impressive … and deliciously subversive … in the school …

Why ‘deliciously subversive’?, I hear you ask! Ah, now therein lies the beauty of the Early Years department! Over the many years when they have been slightly overlooked by their colleagues leading the learning of older children and young people, Early Years teachers have perfected the art of identifying who children are, responding to these needs, and quietly fighting for the individualised resources which these children need in order to thrive. Unnoticed in many cases, these Early Years staff have gradually been refining their position on what works in education, and strengthening their voices … and these voices are now coming through louder and clearer than ever before. “We need to challenge the grades culture as children go through school” … “We need to rethink why we are asking children to learn a particular thing or set of things” … “Maths and literacy are not the be-all and end-all of a child’s existence” … “Politicians need to stop interfering in the development and education of children” …

Now, if we listened to – and acted on – the thoughts, experience and vision of these Early Years educators, the shape of our entire education system might be very, very different. In fact, it will be, if they have their way. They brought a smile to my heart – and I look forward to immersing myself again in their energy and wisdom before too long. We have a lot to learn from them.

Sep 23

The resistible rise of Artificial Intelligence?

I spent a glorious weekend last week in Oxford at the Oxford University Alumni Weekend, meeting friends and enjoying stimulating lectures and discussions. One of these, led in the lovely lecture theatre at St Anne’s College by Professor Peter Jeavons, Head of the Computing Science department, prompted me to rush to put virtual pen to virtual paper, so energised was I by the thoughts that flooded through my brain …

The simple answer to the question posed in the title of the lecture, which took us through the history of artificial intelligence and clarified what artificial intelligence actually is (less Terminator), and more ‘machines acting rationally’ is that this is not the question we should be asking … the question of whether the rise of AI is resistible or not lies, in fact, entirely within our human capacity. If anything, however, according to philosopher Daniel C Dennett, “the real danger is basically clueless machines being ceded [by people] authority far beyond their competence”.

Not that there is much danger at all, according to Professor Jeavons, if we grapple properly and effectively with the kinds of questions that he wants to answer on behalf of his new students, as he prepares them to learn what they will need in order to contribute their skills effectively to the world of research and practical application of AI in the future. His core question was not what COULD go into AI development, but what SHOULD go into it … what decisions are we going to take, as humanity, that will enable us to guide the development of AI? He extended this into 3 other questions:

  • What roles in society can be taken by machines without compromising human dignity, and what roles must be reserved for humans?
  • How do we organise an economy which has less and less need for labour, either by hand or by brain?
  • What are the problems we really want smart machines to solve?

These questions will not answer themselves, nor should we allow them to be answered by individuals (even on behalf of institutions or governments); they are FAR too important for that. We need philosophers, ethicists, users, thinkers; we need diversity and creativity of perception and thought, and we need people to challenge, test, explore, discover and contribute to an understanding and direction. The thought did cross my mind during the lecture that we have a beautiful natural and international structure already in place to do this, through our governmental systems, if only we could reorientate them towards reflection and collaborative construction of ideas and practice, and away from the kneejerk, populist, soundbite culture which, bewilderingly, seems to mark our political status quo.

And of course, we have an even more beautiful opportunity to shape the future if we really focus on enabling our young people to develop the cognitive, emotional and social skills to be able to address these issues, to learn how to turn our existing decision-making structures to good and practical use, and to invent new means of identifying and exploring the answers to these questions. I do wonder whether our existing curriculum structures truly enable these … in fact, I am certain that they could do much more if teachers were released and allowed to flex their muscles, in pursuit of developing the strengths in every child.

A plea to policymakers … Please, please, can we trust teachers and let them do this …? The future is in their hands.

Sep 16

Grappling with difference from an early age

I have a lot to thank my friends for, and – in common with most people, I would imagine – I am deeply grateful for many of them for sticking with me through thick and thin. My longest serving (I use the phrase advisedly …) friend in this respect, B, came to stay with me recently, and despite the fact that we calculated that we hadn’t seen one another at all for about 6 years, there were times during the days we spent together that I can honestly say that I felt again the joy of being 7 years old – what a lot of laughter! What funny memories of adventures and mishaps! I mourned when she left, even though we both had pressingly busy lives to go back to, which we had (mostly) put on hold for these few days.

One insight I had during our time together really made me think about the nature of identity and self, because I found myself in a moment of deja vu which took me back instantly through the decades. I was busy and happily bustling to organise for us to go on an outing, while she appeared – as ever – serene and calm. ‘As ever’ – how true of our relationship! ‘Tis thus and always ‘twas thus …’ This insight struck home with me, and I checked in with her, to make sure: “I was always like this, wasn’t I?” “You were”, she said, and, like the 7 year olds we had once been, we giggled. I took her affirmation as a compliment – I very much value the child within, and I am also glad to have led a coherent and authentic life which has enabled me to draw out who I have always been. It is enormously reassuring and uplifting to realise, with the help of the eyes of others, that you already are doing what you are meant to do …

Another powerful insight hit me too, however, and I realised how grateful I was to B for another reason. The thing is … we are very different in many, many ways, although with elements of similarity, more so than perhaps we really knew at the time, but which manifested themselves to some extent in our chosen life calling of education. I remember, though, now that my memories have been rekindled, how I would often feel perplexed about what and why B did and thought as she did, as it wasn’t always what I would have done, and I know that she taught me that there were subtly different ways of viewing the world and different ways to have fun. She was one of the first people who really taught me about the value of grappling with difference in relationships, and of growing through the process. I am enormously grateful to her – and for her continued friendship even when I must have perplexed her in equal measure with what might well have seemed at times like rather odd perspectives on life. What a star she was (and is)!

If our children and young people are to have any chance of developing the global competence they need in the world, they need to learn to grapple with difference – and the earlier, the better. Friendships with people who are different from them are a beautiful way in which to explore and develop their own sense of self and identity, and learn to value that of others. As parents and educators, let us do our very best to encourage this.

Coming soon from Dr Helen Wright – a new book: The Globally Competent School: a manual. Publication: October 2019

Sep 10

The welcome power of parental engagement

Over the past 3 weeks I have spent some very uplifting time with parents of school students in Asia and Europe, and I have been reminded again of the vital importance of parental engagement in the educational – and life – journeys of their children. I have spent years – decades, now, in fact – listening hard to parents, and seeking always to establish a better understanding of their children and of their needs, in order to create a shared understanding about how we can – together – help guide and nurture them in the years ahead. Once this practice of drawing on multiple sources to understand children is instilled in educators, it is hard to shift it (and why would one want to?), and I find myself slipping naturally into deep listening mode whenever I meet parents, in whatever context. It takes a village to raise a child, after all, and the more we can understand about children from their parents, as well, obviously, as from the children themselves directly, the better our chance of providing those children with the kind of education and support that they will need to thrive and flourish in the world.

Of course, this does not mean that parents know and understand their children in their entirety, and this can often be challenging for parents to realise and accept. In fact, from the moment our children leave the womb (and almost certainly before this), as they begin to interact with the wider world, they start to form as an even more unique human being than their unique combination of genes would already suggest. With such original human beings in front of us, as parents or educators, we have to understand that there is no absolutely clear roadmap ahead of them, and no cookie cutter or conveyor belt approach to guiding them and supporting them that will result in a sure-fire outcome (contrary to the assumptions that underpin many curricula). Our assumptions about who children can or might be are also coloured – inevitably – by our own assumptions, perceptions, vicarious hopes and ambitions … in fact, at times it is a wonder that children manage at all to escape childhood with a strong sense of their unique selves. As the people closest to children in their earliest years, and who are bound to their children with unconditional love, parents are uniquely placed to see early traits in their children, and while these will evolve and present in different contexts beyond the parent-child relationship, parents have a rich and deep understanding. If they are prepared to notice, reflect, and above all share what they see with the wider community of caregivers and educators of their children, while remaining open to seeing their children from the different angles of others, they are giving their child an enormous gift – of shared understanding.

No one person can be all things to a child – a parent is not an aunt, a family friend, a teacher, or a kind stranger in a shop who stops to say hello and play for a moment. Each of us has our own roles to play, and we need to be mindful of the boundaries of these, respecting what others have to bring to the task of bringing up a child. For some children, circumstances dictate that certain relationships will be more important than others; there is no such thing as a ‘perfect’ balance of people around children.

But one truth is evident – when parents engage wisely with others, especially schools, about their children, knowing when to intervene, when to advocate, and when to withdraw, all the while sharing as clearly as possible their insights, feelings and perspectives, then we will all have the best chance to work together to help each and every child thrive.