While diversity is getting a lot of consideration, it is most often what we have in common that provides the foundations on which we can build a strong community.
Schools throughout Australia are experiencing the symptoms of communities under stress. Many research studies post COVID highlight increases in school refusal, lower respect for teachers and parents becoming more demanding of school leaders. These factors also contribute to staffing issues and parental disengagement towards the school.
Many schools have a strong focus on culture inside the school fence. However, a school community extends beyond the school day and the school fence. While there will inevitably be differences in expectations between households, between school and home and other networks such as sporting groups, it is important for there to be some recognised common ground.
It is on this common ground that children will form their character, citizenship and moral compass – where differences can be explained, and understanding can grow. In Dr King’s famous 1963 speech he said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”. It is on common ground that this dream can be realised, and where the foundations of a strong community are built. While it may not always feel like it, common ground exists in every community. Establishing recognised common ground is about finding it not creating it. Strong communities are built on common unity not conformity. Once established and embraced common ground will grow and the community benefit.
Eddee provides Collabs for schools which provide an environment that encourages discussion and collaboration between generations inside and outside the school fence and identifies common ground on which the community can build. An example of this is a shared desire for children to attend school and develop a strong sense of self and to value others.
With school’s dealing with an overcrowded curriculum, staff shortages and numerous other challenges, it can be difficult to prioritise establishing and celebrating common ground. However, investing in a shared understanding of a what binds a school community creates a platform on which to build upon and will make other problems easier to address in the short term and less frequent in the longer term.