In the age of well-being and at a time when awareness of mental health has markedly improved are we in danger of losing sight of the need for resilience? In education the “snowflake” generation have sought protection from those such as Amber Rudd whose recent no-platforming stemmed from being Home Secretary during the Windrush scandal (she was due to give a speech at Oxford as part of International Women’s Day). I have explored the place of resilience in the curriculum while visiting a number of schools in the Gulf states and have been reassured that in most cases a positive balance is being struck between safeguarding policies and challenging opportunities where pupils can be stretched and exposed to sensible risks. Without this they will never learn the hard lessons of life. All this at a time when the resilience of schools, education systems, whole countries and the international order, is being tested in a way which happens perhaps only four or five times in a century. Coronavirus poses enormous practical difficulties for school heads and principals throughout the world. Coping with depleted staffing, rescheduling examination programmes, resorting to virtual education delivered by remote learning supported by latest technology, are all important. But there are also opportunities. Supporting home-learning as well as home-working, developing virtual e-learning programmes, will endure even when coronavirus has become history. Above all, schools have a golden opportunity to practise resilience in ways in which teachers and pupils will be jointly involved. Coping with adversity, working out practical solutions, following science-led analysis, retaining humour and humanity, will all make for great learning opportunities. Let’s go for it!
Anthony Millard
