Greg Whitby: Schools and learning must continue to change and adapt

ONE parent asked Catholic education leader Greg Whitby, why no one was interested in making “normal” schools anymore? He writes why it’s a fair question.

Learning spaces today are very different to traditional classrooms.

SEVERAL years ago, schools in the Diocese of Parramatta started to make changes to the way that learning happened.

I know some of these changes didn’t go down well with all parents.

Some became worried the learning and learning spaces would be very different from their own experiences when they were at school, prompting them to wonder if their child was being disadvantaged in any way.

Schools everywhere — Catholic, independent and government — have realised the world is changing and schools need to change with it.

One parent asked me once why no one was interested in making “normal” schools anymore? It’s a fair question.

School has changed a lot: an old-fashioned classroom.

Most of us are products of a traditional model of schooling so it’s certainly fair enough to ask: if it ain’t broke then why fix it?

The answer to that is that the model is broken, and needs urgent fixing.

The traditional model of schooling came from another time in history when we were designing and building steam engines not commercial spacecraft.

I find it interesting that parents are often willing to take risks and embrace changes to their careers, or move house or consider a major life change but are very conservative in their attitude towards schools for their children.

The classrooms of today feature flexible learning spaces.

Maybe part of this is because, as parents, we feel comfort knowing what is happening at our child’s school between 9am and 3pm five days a week.

Many parents have said they feel out of their depth when it comes to understanding what is being taught and how it is being taught when the learning and learning spaces are different from what they know or experienced.

For some parents, new ways of learning and teaching can look like the great unknown.

To those parents I say that while it may look different, the learning that is happening in our schools is based on the best research, the best practice and what we do know about today’s world and today’s learners.

Catholic Diocese of Parramatta executive director of schools Greg Whitby.

Our world has changed and continues to change.

If schools are not changing with it, our young people will be left behind.

For some parents, this will mean a leap of faith and being prepared to consider another way of thinking and another way of learning.

■ Greg Whitby is the executive director of schools for the Catholic Diocese of Parramatta.