|
    
|
Pastoral care in the blink of an eye?Leonard Browne, Headmaster of Dean Close Preparatory School
An article in one of the national daily papers just after the turn of the year caught my eye. ‘Forget clicking your mouse and tapping the keyboard,’ it began. ‘Soon, a wave of the hand will turn on your computer, a snap of the fingers will change tracks on your iPod, and the blink of an eye will bring up your emails.’ Microsoft is working on hands-free technology, Google has just introduced the Nexus One, and more and more capacity and function will continue to be crammed into our ever-expanding personal devices. On many levels these advances are wonderful, and in the educational environment have a huge potential for innovative teaching and learning. What can be demonstrated in the classroom by way of Smart board technology today will be an increasing reality for home and personal use in the days ahead. Truly it is an exciting time to be alive. There is however, as we know, another side to the story. It concerns how as a society we enable our children to reap the benefits of such technology, while at the same time protecting them from the more negative aspects. In short, adults – whether parents, teachers or indeed those responsible for the technology itself – have the challenge of how to enable ongoing generations to become discerning users. Pastoral care in a boarding school environment can be given many helpful definitions. In a prep school setting, when one is dealing with quite young children, there is of course the need for some distinction from, say, a senior school setting as to how that pastoral care is delivered and, perhaps just as importantly, what areas are of most concern. Any good and effective care of young children in boarding schools needs to ensure that they are safe and secure, that they are nurtured and stimulated, that they have a balanced diet, not just of food but of activities and downtime, and that they have set in place the foundations of a strong moral compass to enable them to make the most of every opportunity that comes their way, which inevitably will involve being able to discern the good from the bad as well as the best from the good. It is entirely appropriate to talk in terms of showing a loving compassion and care for those in our charge. In our own school setting it is a love that springs from the firm belief that each child is supremely valued because they are created, loved and valued by God. One of the ways we seek to construct such a moral compass is by way of our Lifeskills programme, which runs throughout the year and throughout the school. Aimed at complementing much of what goes on in the subject lessons, as well as our assemblies and services, we deal with all the obvious aspects of growing up to be good citizens, living in community and becoming aware of the world beyond ourselves. Of course, any such programme is not primarily about imparting information – rather it is about building meaningful relationships, relationships that will sustain, enhance and hopefully bring fulfilment in life. Which brings us back to the technologies currently at the fingertips of us all, including our children. The potential for all the right sorts of stimulation and information and wonder and enjoyment is clear. So, unfortunately, is the potential negative impact of such instant access to all sorts of images, sounds and words – especially if they not only expose young hearts and minds to inappropriate things, but at the same time also undermine that so precious moral compass. The statistics make interesting reading. More and more time is being spent in front of computer screens and hand-held devices, where social networking sites are non-negotiable aspects of living, and news and events are viewed via YouTube rather than any more traditional media outlet. Perhaps the real challenge in all this is the movement towards a more virtual world, where friendships are developed and often formed at a distance, and actual face-to-face contact stands in danger of receding. That is one of the reasons why we very deliberately limit the amount of time our pupils spend in such activities, have important filter and blocking systems in place, and in an appropriate way also monitor their usage – and see such an approach as a vital part of our pastoral care. There is a fine line between necessary protection from misuse and a Luddite approach to new ways of being in touch and accessing the world around us. We want to harness all that is good and wholesome, while creating an environment where everyone can learn to walk such a pathway safely and securely, so that in time they can do so unaided. Time with one another in real-life, flesh-and-blood situations is irreplaceable by any other means. As we learn to be in community, and cope with success and failure, joy and disappointment, then we are best placed to make the most of all that is on offer beyond those authentic actual relationships. If we are to believe the recent press releases this has to be a route that educators of the young persist with, as all could change with the blink of an eye.  Leonard Browne has been Headmaster of Dean Close Preparatory School in Cheltenham for six years, and has recently become Deputy CEO of Dean Close Schools. He was educated at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, where he read History and then Theology. He gained full international honours in athletics and age group caps in rugby for Ireland, as well as winning Blues at Cambridge. He taught at Clifton College before ordination and, after a number of years in parish ministry, returned to school life as Senior Chaplain and Head of Religious Studies at Dean Close School. He is married to Alison, also a teacher, and has three children. |
|
|||||||
