The World Has Changed: Part 2

Okay, now it is six months later (read the previous post if you have no idea what I am talking about!). I have had a chance to continue to reflect on what we are all about in education and, although the "honeymoon is over" (for both Obama and me!) there is no question that the message that I heard on that breezy January day still resonates in the hot and humid dog days of summer. This is what I told our graduates last week:

The world has changed, and we must change with it. (Barack Obama, 2009)

The world is changing around us. But even with all of the economic upheavals and uncertainties of the past year, we still live in world of privilege. Globally, every member of our Somersfield community belongs to the tiny percentage of the world’s population that is well clothed, housed, and fed. We enjoy fresh water, some weeks more than others, clean air, and a temperate and embracing climate. A higher proportion of Bermudians have internet connections than anywhere else in the world and we have access to about 100 more television channels than anyone could possibly want to watch

Our Montessori children have the advantage of a strong and child-centered programme with a proven track record for preparing them for higher learning. Every student in our Middle School – from M1 to M5 is already a member of the educated elite, having had more schooling than ninety percent of the rest of the planet! We truly live in a world of privilege.

This has been a year of celebration and reflection as we look back on 400 years of Bermuda's history. But has also been a time for looking forward to a somewhat fluid and uncertain future. What might that future hold for our students? How can they build on that privileged beginning that has been given them by their parents, extended family, teachers and school?

They will live in a world where education makes all of the difference – families and teachers can provide them with opportunities but it is up to them to make the most of them.

They will live in a world where character counts. Where honesty and integrity and compassion are not old fashioned values – they are the critically important ones for future success. They are privileged to have had role models at home and at school to demonstrate how true this is. It is now their responsibility to live up to those examples.

They will live in a world that is interdependent. A world where every citizen must do her or his part for social justice, to improve the environment, to take part in the political process and to be a good friend and neighbour. It is their responsibility to take an active role in the life of their community – and not just be a bystander.

Finally, they will live in a world that is going to be radically different from the one that their grandparents, parents, teachers and I grew up in. A world where doing the same old thing in the same old way just isn’t going to cut it anymore. Teachers and parents have tried to prepare our students to face challenges that we can’t even imagine using ideas and technologies that haven’t even been thought of yet.

It will be their responsibility to take a leadership role in that world.

That is the responsibility of privilege.