Institution is striving to ‘teach less and learn more’

FOR most people, parenthood is understood to be a privilege which brings with it responsibility to plan for the future of their children.

That often means that difficult decisions have to be made, with the only guideline being the fact that whatever choices we make our children deserve only the best, Parklands College MD Lorraine Roth says in her director’s message to the school community.

“At home we ensure that the values we instil equip them for the future. It is, however, the time they spend with others — educators and friends — that concerns us most, for they are beyond our control,” says Roth. “This is why the choice of a place of learning is possibly the most important decision any parent could make, as this decision will ultimately affect a pupil’s opportunity to succeed in life.”

Parklands & Christopher Robin Pre-Primary is an independent school with campuses in Parklands, Cape Town and in Sandown, Sandton. It started as Christopher Robin Pre-Primary in 1980.

The Parklands educational philosophy is that life, by nature, is a work in progress, ever changing and challenging the innermost core of what we believe to be important.

“Although the world continues to change,” says Roth, “the basic needs of children remain the same. It is necessary for parents and schools to reinforce this shared ambition which is to create successful adults whose values will ultimately underpin their actions.

“The aim of education is to prepare young people to be socially just and willing to serve with dignity, respect and honour, while remaining task orientated and centred.”

At Parklands, education is viewed as a vital ingredient in promoting a sense of identity, extending values, bridging the cultural divide, promoting understanding and tolerance between different people and building social cohesion. That means educators need to continuously change education to keep up with the changes in society and the world, says Roth.

“In these turbulent times, he who learns most … wins, and in today’s knowledge-based world, education is the only sustainable basis for progress and prosperity. Learning takes predominance over teaching where resident knowledge has to give way to evolving wisdom and, as a 21st century school, we strive to teach less and learn more,” she says.