As an unprecedented back-to-school season begins, today’s parents, students and teachers are more resilient than ever. Pre COVID-19, education worldwide had been synonymous with the classroom. The challenges of online teaching fundamentally changed the way most parents view schools, how educators teach and what students learn. Each of us strove to achieve positive outcomes from an education outside of the traditional classroom environment. Welfare, involvement and purpose were the largest factors in online lesson delivery. Teachers, students and parents each shared concern for each other. ‘Stay safe’ were often the final words to end each lesson. Now that school has resumed, parents, students and teachers are all concerned with safety. Schools have followed government health directives to ensure that every precaution is taken.
With the safety securely attended, the involvement and purpose of students needs to be maintained. A recent survey conducted amongst over 1,000 high school students in the USA found that 57% believe that what they learn outside of the classroom is extremely important. This was an increase of 30% over responses given in a survey conducted in 2016. GIA has always championed education outside of the classroom with field trips and summer camp. This year our schools will have exciting opportunities to learn outside of the classroom through GIA online competitions. The aim is to give purpose to the subjects learnt. Competitions serve as a reminder of the GIA student profile of: Seekers, Affirmer, Changers. I encourage all students to unleash their full creative potential to bring positive change to the world. Stay safe!
Stephen Rivers, K12 Global Director
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