Time for another opinion piece from Mr. Roberts...

The problem with an opinion piece is it generally offends somebody. Then again, the problem with opinions is they are often presented as truth rather than opinion. Or 'my truth'. The problem with 'my truth' is 'my truth' really only boils down to 'my opinion' or 'my feelings'. These opinions are to be valued, but are as vulnerable to mistake as any other opinion - believing something doesn't make it true.

Whilst I am sure the opinion shared below will offend someone, please believe me when I stress this is not its intention. The intention/hope for a, striving to be reasonable person, when sharing an opinion, is to help develop the conversation and improve understanding of very complex ideas about our shared human experience.

Well, here's the opinion: As the headteacher of Little Green Junior School, I am totally committed to diversity, inclusion, anti racism and anti prejudice.  This is so that we can learn together and develop together - a unity through conversation - to respect, value and, at worst, tolerate, a vast range of differing opinions and ideas, acknowledging that there are three very important elements to building a successful community:

1. The right to be heard - everyone supported to blow their own trumpet - see Year 4 Cornet lessons!

2. The responsibility to listen.

3. The need for honest understanding that we are navigating a very complex reality and that to be honest, respectful and reasonable, we must ensure our feelings are guided by ALL the available facts and ideas of the whole community - to create a learning community - A Community of Unity through conversation and collaboration - unity through thinking and listening and trying to understand the opinions of others. Unity in finding  agreement in how we go on.

My current 'opinion' is that as a society we are losing the space to discuss complex ideas, instead merely discussing over-simplistic notions of 'identity'. We have somehow created a supposedly 'moral' space where it is reasonable to judge an idea because of the identify of the person that shared the idea - their sex/race/gender/wealth - rather than the quality of and evidence for the idea. Worryingly, this focus on identity becomes the very definition of the immoral prejudiced ideas that, I thought, we have been fighting for so long.

As an educator, I believe in helping discover and develop potential in everyone  and that every conversation is a space to learn. Every human being is an individual shaped by their unique life experiences and holding the spark of possibility within. The best way to support those sparks is with a community committed to doing the best for ALL of their members -  a community fighting for fairness and equality of opportunity for everyone.  This leading to the ability for us all to understand, promote and defend the space for diversity within our CommUNITY.

A lot of what we do in school, as educators, is to create spaces for conversations, dialogue and thinking. We want everyone to be exposed to the diverse and complex ideas and then be supported to  navigate this complexity to go on.  So...

What do you think? What is your opinion? CLICK HERE! CLICK HERE!!

This leads nicely into launching our Family Support Worker supported Family Coffee Mornings. Come to talk, come to listen, come to support your learning community! See the poster below!