Head warns against ‘alienated’ society that values only success

Children risk becoming “alienated” in a society that values material success and achievement above all else, a leading headteacher is warning.

Youngsters must be given a “sense of belonging” before they can be successful, according to Richard Harman, headmaster of Uppingham School and chairman of the Boarding Schools Association (BSA).

He warns that the UK’s education system and culture has its priorities “upside down”, and that “proper order” must be restored to stop future generations growing up “forever insecure”.

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In his speech to the BSA’s annual conference for headteachers in Bristol today, Mr Harman will say: “The culture we live in has come to value material success and achievement above belonging and community.

“We can help redress that balance in our schools and I would argue, as 21st Century boarding school leaders, we’re called to do so. If we do it well, we’ll be doing a great service to the world, for our youngsters will go on to be leaders of the future in one way or another.”

Mr Harman argues that after the most basic human needs for safety, warmth and shelter have been met, the next most important thing for the human psyche is a sense of love and belonging.

“In the past few decades we’ve forgotten that a sense of belonging must be built before we can attain lasting achievement and self-esteem, otherwise the whole structure is in danger of collapse.

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“No wonder we have a generation of youngsters who suffer from self-esteem that is either too low or unjustifiably high. The over emphasis on material success and, in education, on valuing attainment only, with too little attention paid to establishing a sense of belonging, has meant that some fundamental values have been inverted.

“Essentially, our education system and our culture have got things upside down. We’ve told our children that they will reach a sense of belonging by means of achieving material success, instead of the other way round.

Mr Harman will also say that qualifications in maths, English or chemistry are important but not the most precious things to foster in pupils.

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