At SCAS we provide the “world of opportunities” that allows each of our students to find success in a realm that responds to their talents, interests and aspirations. We are not simply an “academic school” or a “performing arts school” or a “sporting school” – we are all of these things and more.
We believe that education is one of the great keys to success and a life well-lived.
All of us have heard the stories of the “outlier, school dropout” who became a successful entrepreneur, successful start-up millionaire etc. What we do not hear about so often is, that the truth is, that while there are examples of people who thrived despite their disregard for education, millions of successful, socially engaged and productive people used their education as a platform to make the world a better place.
“There is a strong correlational relationship between education and income. Clearly there are many individual examples of people who succeed with less education than others. However, studies show that success and income increase with more education. If you have the innate intelligence, drive, and luck to succeed without an education – good for you. Just be careful that you avoid buying into the story that you do not need an education. Looking back 20-30 years later, you may regret the decision to pass on more education.”
In a world where the competition for jobs and success is not only local and national but also global, it is important that we know what really makes a difference and the first lesson is that:
Stories of the educationally disengaged “genius” make good media copy but ignore the fact that most of us need an education to develop our skills and talents so that we are competitive in the world.
A good education not only provides knowledge and the skills to use that knowledge, it also provides a platform for developing the “soft” skills and attitudes that make success not inevitable, but far more likely. Skills like communication, collaboration, resilience, strategic thinking and discipline are essentials in the search for meaningful success.
The best place to develop these skills is in an environment that not only provides knowledge but provides an engaging environment where it is safe to try, sometimes fail and get up and try again. The best education is to be found where a student feels safe, valued and a part of something larger than their personal needs and wants.
“Children’s interest and engagement in school influences their prospects of educational and occupational success 20 years later, over and above their academic attainment and socioeconomic background, researchers have found. The more children felt connected to their school community and felt engaged, rather than bored, the greater their likelihood of achieving a higher educational qualification and going on to a professional or managerial career.” Menzies Research Institute.
So, a good education provides opportunities through good results but also provides the range of activities that allows the graduating students to have a positive view of learning and their ability to succeed. There is considerable research that shows that long term success and well being are linked to the “kind” of education a student experiences:
- “The notion that a school should be about sports, music, drama – not only numeracy and literacy – is really important. They enjoy it, they enjoy being there.” Rob Moodie, Professor of Global Health at the University of Melbourne
- “Studies reinforce the importance of school curricula to promote active, rather than passive learning styles that engage both the mind and body, and involve humour, music and movement.” Dr Susan Krieg, Senior Lecturer at Flinders University.
As an independent school our success, and indeed our very existence, depends upon the success and attitude of the students we produce. We are very clear on the type of graduate we seek to work with families to produce:
SCAS Graduates will:
- Display, by their words and actions, a positive, Christian view of the world and their place in it.
- Understand that while they should be valued as an individual, their willingness to serve their community, now and in the future, will be a key to their continued growth.
- Have been shaped by the ethos and actions of the school and in turn, have played a role in the evolution of the school community towards greatness.
- Have been offered access to an education that not only allowed them to reach their academic potential but also provided them with the access to the knowledge and skills required to successfully enter the next phase of their lives as lifelong learners who are erudite, optimistic and disciplined.
- Understand the vital nature of change in the world and are prepared to face this reality with confidence and resilience.
- Be exposed to and given the opportunity to develop such skills as agility, creativity and an ability to work collaboratively with others.
- Have developed leadership skills so that by their great and small actions, they will have the potential to make the world a better place.
That’s our job!
