Call for dialogue to find way out of lockdown – Moray head teacher
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A MORAY head teacher has called for "dialogue rather than debate" to overcome the complex challenges facing society once lockdown is lifted.
Writing in a national newspaper today, Gordonstoun School principal Lisa Kerr said political differences needed to be put aside to find the way forward after lockdown.
Ms Kerr said: "As we move forward we will all need to learn to cope with nuance and contradictions.
"Just as we did not know how COVID-19 would behave, neither do we know, for certain, how to emerge from it safely. And we must not pretend that our leaders do – or should do – either.
"This will be difficult, and depends upon trusting the good motives of others. It also depends upon good listening skills and the ability to put aside our political differences."
Ms Kerr said she was more convinced than ever of the need for empathy and understanding to broker effective, long-lasting solutions. And with concerns that the public may be less ready to agree to return to work than they were to stay at home, she says this will be vital.
She added: "It’s also an approach which we at Gordonstoun have been advocating for some time. The school was founded in 1934 by Kurt Hahn, a Jew who fled Germany under persecution from the Nazis who encouraged a deep understanding and tolerance of others.
"Today, through a technique known as 'dialogue', we teach our students that it is possible for people with different perspectives to reach a common understanding. The Gordonstoun Dialogue Society is an antidote to the polarised approach in modern politics. Unlike debate where the goal is to convince others of your position, dialogue focuses on a willingness to re-evaluate our views.
"If we have learned anything it should be how little good has come of Yes/No or Leave/Remain debates.
"We must not enter this crucial period of deciding how to get our country back to all kinds of health by suggesting that the lockdown/lifting is a choice between health and the economy, for that is a false and dangerous simplification. Instead, we will need to find ways to hear of the complexities of balancing different health priorities: reducing contact with COVID-19 versus making sure early cancer is detected.
"While some may see opening schools as the key to getting parents back to work, others will stress its importance in addressing equality of educational attainment.
"So as we watch our political leaders struggle to find a way out of this crisis, I hope we will be ready to listen and to seek to understand rather than merely to pronounce our (dis) pleasure – because our lives literally depend upon it."
