Many of us have worked in schools where the greatest achievements are by the student who worked exceptionally hard to move from a 3 to a 4 in a subject, or who overcame pressure at home or tough circumstances to reach 24 points. There are thousands of examples, yet the current view of schools appears to be to only celebrate those achievements that boost marketing. How do we promote the idea of celebrating achievement, effort, kindness, compassion or being principled? IB schools strive to promote global citizenship which encompasses global engagement, the attributes of the learner profile and an appreciation that others with their differences can also be right. My social media feeds are filled with 45s and averages over 35, so who is celebrating what the IB is really all about?
At Sreenidhi International School, Hyderabad, we have an incredible community where our values of integrity, resilience and empathy are instilled in all we do, and are just as important as the scores. We work hard and hope that our students achieve the levels they deserve, but at the same time we need to celebrate the service, the kindness, compassion and leadership students demonstrate, whether they score 20, 25, 30 or 45. As I enter my second full year at Sreenidhi, I couldn't be more impressed by the ethical, transparent and compassionate approach of our community. We pick up on those small acts of kindness and exemplify them, we highlight achievements through service, sports and student leadership. Still, we can do more, we must do more. What are other schools doing to celebrate students working towards the IB mission?
It isn't easy to look beyond the numbers and to celebrate what really matters, especially with so many schools in competitive environments or markets. However, let us all celebrate our students and communities, regardless of average scores, highest scores and 45s
- Malcolm Nicholson
