A photography firm apologised after parents were offered a choice of whether they wanted class photos with or without pupils with complex needs. The underlying issue has to be that separate photos were allowed to be taken in the first place.
CONTEXT
Is this happening in 2024? BBC Scotland reported an incident that occurred in March 2024 at a primary school in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Details can be read here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-68693874
It rightly calls ‘foul’ to parents having been given a choice whether they wanted class photos with or without pupils with complex needs. Whilst the photography firm, the school, the local council authority, Scotland’s First Minister, Humza Yousef, et al., subsequently gave unequivocal apologies to the deeply hurt and distressed parents, surely the key issue is that the photos were allowed by attending teachers to be taken in the first place.
In fact, it was a golden opportunity missed by attending teachers to lead by example; to advocate for marginalised children and to demonstrate in practice what it means to champion the rights of all children. In this instance, through the refusal for the photo session to commence until all pupils were present.
FOUNDATION BEFORE FRAMEWORK
This ‘foto-fiasco’ irrefutably shines a spotlight on what needs to be given fundamental focus within Initial Teacher Learning and Training, and in fact, to all pre-graduate courses within higher education in general.
The teaching and learning sector is a big user of what it terms as ‘frameworks’ to help guide design and delivery of curricula and in the assessment and evaluation of learning. The ethos and approach of the Caring on Campus initiative within LifeRoute is for the primary focus instead to be about the foundation.
In other words, Foundation First and, only then, framework to follow.
A solid foundation has to be bedrock, not sand that can easily shift depending on how the wind blows – a metaphor here for external influences such as lack of time, workload, social and other pressures.
SHARPEN YOUR VALUES PENCIL
Within LifeRoute and Caring on Campus, we often refer to the term ‘core human values’ to describe this foundation. These values encompass the basic emotional needs we all have in common, which, when fully met, then enable us to be completely in touch with ourselves so that we can then scale our learning frameworks with confident agility and meaningful purpose.
Situations can appear on the surface to be innocent and we can drop our full attention. Then, caught unawares, what are unforeseen “values-calls” can suddenly emerge, such as the actions at the school photograph shoot. When we develop the practice of always being able to act on our values, we recover quickly and can avoid or minimise any harm that actions may have led to. Living by our values in this way becomes second nature through learned, intentional practice and attainment.. Would we not all wish for this for ourselves? To have immediate clarity on how to act or intervene so that any ill-advised action can be ‘nipped in the bud’ before damage is done?
Through LifeRoute and Caring on Campus you can participate in practical coaching and mentoring sessions, using proven international frameworks that can help you achieve exactly this. Whether you are in Initial Teacher Education, or seek this for your Continuous Professional Development, this is a pro bono offer that cannot be missed if your heart is genuinely aligned to growth in Quality within Education (SDG#4)
LifeRoute / Caring on Campus
April 2024