Totally Inconsequential !

A conversation with a school quickly went south, when they made me realise how un important the program I was suggesting, was for them, in the greater scheme of things of running a school.

Firmly back on the ground, it really got me thinking about my school days, the learnings, all the important things & at that time all the seemingly “ inconsequential “ things we were doing in school.

Definitely won the school lottery, and extremely fortunate to be a part of an elite school in Don Bosco High School, elite not in fees, but elite in thinking of what makes a difference to the overall development of children & then it struck me so clearly, it’s all the inconsequential things which have made the maximum difference and impact in my life. ie Sports and Scouts.

1 ) Sports – Having a rich sports culture in a school is something which money cant buy & we were so lucky to be part of a school which not only encouraged sports, but it was a way of living there. You can create as many facilities as you want, get coaches etc, but the inherent sporting culture of the school is something which is fascinating to be a part off. Sports off course has so many tangible benefits, but the intangibles far outweigh them. Taking defeats, being part of team, enjoying the struggles, trials and tribulations of a team are just few lessons which you learn and keep with you the rest of your life.

2) Scouts – Not many schools have this & now it feels like it’s a dying art, but this has been so much impactful growing up. The independence of camping on your own. The brotherhood with your patrol & troop, the shed inhibitions around campfires and the competitive spirits are something which are forged early and am sure Lord Baden Powell had these intangibles in mind at the time of inception.

STEM is something which I think will soon rate up there as something of critical for the overall development of children however seemingly unimportant it may sound now.

For this I think two things need to be done,

1) The perception around STEM as an all or nothing skill needs to be removed. This is a world skill, every child needs to have an early exposure to this, irrespective of the career path or prospect. You wont become a coder with Microsoft if you learn coding in Grade 4, but it for sure will help remove some demons about STEM & for sure prepare you better for a world dominated by technology and automation.

2) Schools need to take cognisant about the larger picture of children development, it’s easy to get in the routine of things & marks for sure matter, but its more important to think larger and understand what will help the children tomorrow. With a world moving towards practical skills, leaning on only theory may help the child win some battles, but the larger war will remain & they will need all the help they can get.

So do stress the small stuff !! As James Buchanan said It ain’t nothing but you and the heavens and they’re so big and so bright that you realize just how little some things matter. And then sometimes, you realize how much little things matter.”

What are your favourite inconsequential learnings from school ??