Page 66 - Tropic Magazine Issue 18

TROPIC • OPINION

Paul Sjogren
Principal
Trinity Anglican School

Core purpose

What is the core purpose of a school? With so many factors
and challenges involved in answering such a question, it
can be difficult to get agreement among educators, parents,
governments and even students themselves. According to
educational writer and speaker Marc Prensky: “The real goal of
education, and of school, is becoming - becoming a good person
and becoming a more capable person than when you started.
Learning is nothing but a means of accomplishing that goal, and
it is dangerous to confuse the ends with the means.”
Concepts such as resilience and teamwork, gratitude and
service, compassion, leadership, tolerance and integrity are all
crucial values and traits for the development of a young person
into a successful adult.
Of course, one of the pressing challenges schools face is the
increasing number of areas they are required to educate their
students. No longer are the 3 R’s enough. A whole new digital
world, changing cultural benchmarks, funding concerns and a
looming shortage of teachers are just some of these challenges. John Martin
And yet, most of our kids continue to work hard to become the
best versions of themselves, show compassion and concern for General Manager
Cairns Business College
those less fortunate, and show common sense and decision-
making that belie their age. We must continue to value and work
as hard as we can to give them the education they need for the Why do we return to education?
21st century, both in areas that can be measured with data and
those that can’t. For me, the most rewarding part of providing education is
when older people return to studies.
MORE: tas.qld.edu.au The decision to return is difficult and complex. We build a life
and a lifestyle. We have children, mortgages and past-times
which work against the idea of returning to studies. We carry
views of what study will be like based on our past experiences:
frequently these are poor experiences.
Nonetheless, many people do decide to return to studies.
Usually this arises because we want to change our
circumstances. We are dissatisfied with our current situation.
We want a change. Education and skills are the pathway to
the changes we need. But how to succeed this time around?
What will be different from past, unsatisfactory experiences?
Well, the first change is you; you have decided you want to
change. You have a motivation which might have been lacking
previously. You have life experience which shapes your self-
image of what you can and can’t achieve.
The second thing that has changed is that adult learning has
been overhauled. Most good providers will treat you as an
individual. You will have your own plan and progress path
which responds to your unique circumstances, your life
experience, the way you learn best and the study skills you will
need to succeed.
My advice is don’t return to study unless you have a “fire in
your belly” to change your circumstances. Study is hard and
you will need to be resilient. But, if you are convinced, then
talk to a few providers, interview them, establish which you’d
prefer to work with. Then commit to the task.

MORE: cairnsbusinesscollege.com.au

66 • Tropic • Issue 18