Hope.
Hope is a very powerful thing.
And in these dark times, it is exactly what we need. It can be the guiding light that leads us through the darkness.
But on its own, hope isn’t enough. Hope is passive.
For hope to be powerful it needs action; it may comfort our hearts and minds but if it’s not followed by action then nothing changes.
There has never been a more urgent time for change.
So this is my hope-I hope we unite, stand up and take action, for without this our hopes will come to nothing.
Without hope you are left with only fear and despair. Our minds are amazing machines-the way we think affects the way we feel and act. Right now, we need to think positively, however hard that may be, because giving in to fear and despair will lead to disaster.
We are currently facing the biggest challenge in modern times, and despite this challenge, despite the teacher bashing and the political point scoring, I have hope. I have seen the education sector unite in its support for the communities it serves. School staff have worked hard to provide for the families they serve, from providing online learning to ensuring they are fed. People have done what it takes, when it matters, they have stepped up and taken action. This sense of purpose in education has been inspirational.
We don’t need to be patronised by the Daily Mail and called heroes in some veiled attempt at reverse psychology, trying to guilt us into putting aside safety concerns and blindly follow the government’s will; we will do what it takes, we will do what is best for the children. I have hope because I have seen that united purpose already within schools.
And beyond this particular crisis point in our journey through the darkness I have hope for the future as well. I am choosing to be optimistic about the future; I am choosing to believe that the current unity in education will continue. We may be enveloped in darkness right now but in that darkness we have had the opportunity to pause and reflect about what is important to us-what is important to the education of our children.
Our government favours competition and it favours accountability by easily weighed measures. Through the current darkness we have seen the power of collaboration, not competition. People have come together and, by their collective will, they have got things done. The arbitrary accountability measures won’t exist next year, we have no tests to measure and compare with. Because of this we have a window of opportunity-an opportunity to make them see-these tests, these measures, don’t matter- they serve no useful purpose-they don’t help the children (in fact they probably harm them when they have to experience a curriculum offer so narrow it only serves to prepare them for one moment in time-the time of the test-and has no benefit to the rest of their lives).
The moment we step into the light and begin to return to normality is the moment for action. We need to continue to use the power of collaboration and unity to stand up and say no to the broken system. It is time for them to listen to us; we have all been able to reflect on what is important to us whilst we have been locked in our homes. Lets not waste this time of contemplation. Lets stand together and forge a new system, one that prioritises the whole child, not just the things that can be easily measured.
I have hope…