Protected From Everything But Learning Nothing

This is the first part in a collaboration between this blog and the lovely Mr EE who, aside from being an expat parent himself, is also an  expert on education for expat children both in a wide range of different international schools and in boarding schools in the UK.  He writes extensively on education and we thought we would republish some of his work here in a new section of the blog in the hope it will be of interest to other expats searching for the right schooling solutions for their children.  

We are aiming to publish some original articles aimed more towards the needs of the expat parent so if you have any requests for future articles please let us know through the comments below or by email to ersatzexpat@gmail.com and Mr EE will do his best to accommodate the request in the future.

Protected From Everything But Learning Nothing?  Why Schools Must Embrace, Not Avoid, Risk.

Modern schools have become highly risk adverse environments, a trend which has been building for some years.  Both in and out of the classroom, our students are being presented with as risk-free an environment as possible, a place where they are highly unlikely to be hurt, physically or emotionally, and face few consequences for their actions which actually matter.  This has caused noticeable changes in the now-expected appendence of schools, such as redesigned playgrounds with soft-fall surfaces, anti-scratch railings and few moving parts, or the proliferation of marked tripping hazards on stairs.  Perhaps more insidious is the change in the culture of many schools, where competition against peers, whether academically or through sports has become less and less common: everyone is encouraged to ‘be a winner’, regardless of actual achievement.  But does a childhood spent in such a controlled and artificial environment provide the exposure and experiences which let students learn the lessons that will enable them to function effectively as adults in a globally mobile, competitive world?  Is this cushion from reality actually harming our children’s development?

Play that is too safe is not satisfying for long.

An increasing body of research and opinion would suggest that the answer to this question is yes, and that this conclusion has its basis in neuroscience.  Advances in neuro-imaging techniques show that experiences of all kinds alter the physical structure and pathways of the brain, so it is fair to say that experience affects the brain but equally, the brain affects experience.  Worryingly for our children trapped in the risk-free bubble, early deprivation can limit cognitive and emotional potential, whilst positive, attuned stimulation enhances the individual’s potential.  A child with limited exposure to risk and challenge when young will be find it harder to cope with the challenges of a normal adult life, leading to anxiety and depression, whilst over exposure can be equally damaging in creating a thrill-seeking daredevil who pushes themselves to dangerous extremes in order to stay sane.  Aided by our experience and knowledge of child development, phycology and neuroscience, it is entirely possible for schools to help guide children towards the goal of becoming thoughtful and considered risk-takers, rather that falling to the extremes of the risk-adverse or adrenalin junkie.

Risk-taking is a key developmental factor for any child, and schools need to understand its significance as a teaching experience for students.  Via the modelling, nurturing and teaching of good attitudes towards risk by adults, children will be better prepared to meet life's challenges.  Positive risk-taking behaviour involves actions or activities which, precipitated by consideration and thoughtfulness, provide a step towards the transition point between safety and danger.  Risk-taking, like other skills, needs to be learned and practiced over time, and can be summarised down to four essential steps outlined below:

• Identification: of the nature of the risk, be it physical, emotional, social or intellectual
• Awareness: of potential benefits and dangers and the range of possible actions
• Consideration: thinking through the impact of one's actions
• Evaluation: reflecting on the impact after the decision has been taken.

If we accept that striving to become risk-aware is part of child development and thus within the remit of a school's operations, then how can the school learn to embrace rather than reject risk in a practical fashion?

Don't wrap your children in cotton wool!

Aldo Leopold believed that ‘it must be a poor life that achieves freedom from fear’.  This statement followed the impact of one of the formative events from the end of his childhood.  One of the most influential scholars in the field of American environmental and wilderness awareness, Leopold advocated that all young people should spend some time in the wilderness, to experience a time when their own choices and mistakes may really matter.  Outdoor or Adventure education is one of the more common elements of risk education found in schools, although the degree of access that children have to it differs widely with the type of educational establishment.     Many of the characteristics of this type of education differ considerably from the common experience of the classroom.  A great many of such activities are voluntary, take place outside the normal timetable and location of the school and the journey (often literally) towards an outcome can vary dramatically.  A successful and well-planned adventure education programme will provide a series of opportunities for children to face progressively more significant challenges appropriate to their age and experience.  Challenge must be by choice, but the opportunities must be provided.  Expeditions may vary in terms of duration, environment or distance from home.  If done well, all should provide a step further on the child’s ‘adventure career’, providing opportunities to develop the skills and self-confidence in a guided and considered manner until the degree of supervision is so light as to be barely noticeable.  The desired culmination is that students are entirely capable of assessing and coping with the risks inherent in wilderness for themselves. 

Exposure to a sense of adventure should start young, but need not take place away from schools; in fact, for the very young, it is perhaps better it does not.  Play provides opportunities for children to learn self-regulation of their own emotions and behaviour: those deprived from play opportunities show little ability to do.  Normal patterns of play and the locations where it takes place need to provide opportunities for children to consider and take risks.  Often, when a group of children play in a planned playground, the strongest child becomes the leader, whereas in a natural or unstructured setting such as woodland, the more inventive and intelligent child comes to the fore.  As before, the desired eventual outcome of play is independent activity, where they children have the space and parents have the bravery to let their children go and experience the world for themselves.  Control over this aspect of their lives helps children develop the skills of teamwork and leadership.  The degree of adult control and supervision must reduce, slowly but inevitably, to allow the children more freedom to manage and control themselves and their relationships. 

Risk comes in many forms

If a school is to provide genuine access to risk on a daily basis, it must translate into classroom practice and methods of student learning.  A risk-friendly classroom is not defined by a teacher-centred carousel of pedagogical techniques, however, but the opportunity for the children to take risks with their learning.  This requires the teacher to lead and role-model an atmosphere of mutual respect where both the level and gaps in the knowledge of the students on any given topic are viewed as triggers for learning rather than reasons for ridicule.  As the students strive to develop understanding, they must be encouraged and given space and time to explore, enquire and find their own solutions, all in an environment where they feel able to make mistakes.  The learning outcome of such a risk-friendly environment is greater levels of creativity, ownership and motivation amongst students, where they have scope to innovate rather than simply follow instructions.  Students will be disinclined to take risks if they feel they will be punished for failure or humiliated in front of their peers.  Indeed, the atmosphere of respect must extend to and from all members of the class if individuals are to feel free to take emotional and intellectual risks in front of their peers, but genuine growth will only occur is this is so. 

The right school will encourage your child to take a leap.

Developing our understanding of the processes of risk and risk-taking behaviour allows us to facilitate the growth and development of our children.  The outcomes are considerable.  As a result of such risk-aware guidance, students will be more adept at seeking challenges, taking opportunities and resilient to disappointments.  In particular, risk-aware individuals are more tenacious in the face of failure due to a past history of surmounting small setbacks, guided by parents and teachers in how to tolerate, reflect and learn from them.  Learning to take considered risks in childhood prepares children to perceive issues of safety and danger with greater accuracy and respond appropriately.  Furthermore, they are also better prepared to think independently.  Students who are able to risk disagreement with others and explore conventions whilst maintaining their own perspective risk the denigration which is likely following any challenge to orthodoxy.  Children still need very clear boundaries on what is legally and morally right and/or acceptable.  However, children and young adults who think for themselves, acting from a position of consideration, thoughtfulness and in time, conscience, will find that their risk awareness is a key factor in developing lasting confidence with lifelong importance. 

Originally published October 2015

What do you think?  Have you noticed differing attitudes to risk between schools in different postings?  Does your current school have the balance right or do they need to improve their attitude to risk?

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Posted as part of the monthly Expat Life Linky posted by the lovely Amanda Van Mulligen