These have been interesting and demanding times for us all in education, as well as for those in other fields of life. The lockdown has been a knock down; it has distanced us from our pupils and has left us wondering how we can proceed. The good side of it is that it has given us a new-found respect from parents who have been left to shoulder the responsibility of overseeing the education of their children in our absence. It has also given us time to reflect on what is happening in education and where we are going with education, now that we have shown we can educate children while they are at home. The lockdown has shown children do not need to go to school but at the same time it has shown children do need to come to school! In short, this has been a wonderful opportunity for people to realise the real place and value of schools.

Let us stop for one short moment and ask the simple question: what is a school? What makes a school a school? Many would be quick to point out that a school is a place of learning – that is what makes it stand out. However, learning (of academic subjects) can be done anywhere and can be done individually, as we have now discovered. That is not what differentiates a school. A school is a gathering of people, of many people, and there lies the identity, the beauty and the problem. It is a community made up of people of all sorts of different abilities, beliefs, cultures, desires, experiences, fears, genders, hopes, interests, jargon, knowledge, limitations, motives, notions, opinions, principles, questions, resources, stages, tempers, understanding, values, willingness, xenophobia, yen, zeal. In other words, it is the world in microcosm.

As such, therefore, the greatest lessons that children must learn are in dealing with other people. Linus, in the popular ‘Charlie Brown’ cartoon strip, is the one who said, “I love mankind; it is people I can’t stand.” We cannot exist outside of community and so the biggest lesson we can teach is to enable the youngsters to live and work with other people. That is only possible at school where we find other people! Social distancing has shown they need more than ever social developing. The most important lessons they must learn are not academic ones, not even sporting ones (though these both remain crucial) but are in truth the social ones (how to relate with people), the spiritual ones (how we fit in) and the cultural ones (how to express ourselves).

And in short, the social part of the curriculum comes down to us teaching them two very simple yet profound values or standards: respect and responsibility. That is our major role: to teach them to show respect in order to gain respect and to be responsible for themselves as well as for those around them. These are vital lessons in social developing that will make or break the future of this country and of this world. These are lessons that cannot be learned in isolation or from books; they can only be learned through experience, through practical experimentation and evaluation, through example. That is our challenge, our privilege and our responsibility – to give them respect and to give them responsibility. Without respect and responsibility, there will be no respite (it will be an endless effort instead of an effortless end) and no response.

For further reflection on this, you can read the article ‘Don’t Expect Respect; Reflect Respect’ on:
http://www.atschisz.co.zw/ats/executive-director-newsletter/dont-expect-respect-reflect-respect/

Have a wonderful term, whenever it happens, and thank you for what you are doing for the children.

TIM MIDDLETON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ATS