LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Lesa Fowler Head of Boarding
in Australian boarding
J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
SUNATA
Harry climbed the spiral stairs with no thought in his head except for how glad he was to be back. They reached their familiar, circular dormitory with its five four-poster beds and Harry, looking around, felt he was home at last.
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In a world that is rapidly changing, how do we prepare the students in our care to meet the future demands required to succeed? What are the essential skills they will need to think differently, to be agile, to have creative zeal, and to be able to pivot and change as the world changes around them? How can we build cultures that promote empathy, knowing that this quality is critical to our society’s wellbeing? Around the globe, these are questions that ebb and flow through classrooms and university lecture halls, shaping contemporary pedagogical approaches that influence both people and policy. Yet, as we continue to ride the wave of the digital era, it has become more evident than ever before that learning can and does happen all around us, all the time. With this in mind, it is useful to examine the way contemporary pedagogy and pastoral care has evolved within boarding schools – spaces that are unique in
