As the torchbearers of holistic education, IB schools shoulder the unique responsibility of nurturing the complete individual—psychological, spiritual, physical, and emotional. This noble task is not just a duty but a profound commitment to shaping the future generation into well-rounded individuals. Guided by the IB philosophy of lifelong learning, holistic education is a continuous journey that inspires and motivates, not a mere destination. It transcends the confines of a school building, extending throughout an individual’s life and manifesting in the enduring attributes of psychological, spiritual, physical, and emotional development that take root in school and continue to flourish in the years to come.
Holistic education is a lived responsibility. Each individual is responsible for living a life demonstrating what they have learned and what they are learning.
Holistic education is not just an individual responsibility but a shared, collaborative one. The partnership between the school and parents or guardians is essential and integral in developing the well-rounded individuals we aspire to see making positive contributions to society. Your role is not just crucial but deeply valued in this process of shaping the future generation.
Holistic education must result in changed mindsets, outlooks, and perspectives. The goal of education is change. Students and teachers must grow in their thinking, not just be able to acknowledge and accept other points of view. They must be able to reflect on what is known, what they don’t know, what they want to learn, and how such knowledge makes them better positioned to make meaningful deposits in the lives of others. We strive for this transformative nature of education in holistic education.
Holistic education is not confined to space or location, though it may be geographically and culturally specific. We learn wherever we are and can take what we know wherever we go. However, as learners, we must be conscious of where we are. Hence, our education is not offensive, and our demonstration of ourselves is not offensive, as these will make our education irrelevant.
The rounded students we seek to develop through educating the whole person for life are individuals filled with potential for and dreams of greatness. Schools and, therefore, educators must first recognise the immense value of each individual they will engage with in the teaching-learning process. Your role is not just to impart knowledge but to nurture the unique potential and greatness within each student, making your work invaluable and deeply appreciated.
Educators must see beyond ethnicity, colour, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc., to fashion well-rounded individuals through holistic education. We must understand that these things do not define a person or student; instead, these things are defined by the person or student. Our responsibility as schools or educators is to unlock, fashion, shape, and encourage each student to be and become the great persons they are. This is precisely why educators/schools do not merely teach subjects but individuals and persons.
A blog by : Mr. Orin A. Stephney
