IB presentation evening with Professor A C Grayling
On Tuesday 7 June, we were delighted to host A C Grayling, the eminent philosopher and academic, who addressed a group of students, parents and staff as part of our IB presentation evening. Professor Grayling spoke eloquently on the topic of the humanities, ‘the great conversation of humankind’ as he called the study of these subjects. However, it was not a lecture aimed at those preferring the arts over science. He spoke of an educational model that resembles a ‘T’: deep where required but broad in the influence of subjects that, together, contribute to an educational experience rich in its diversity that encourages pluralist thought and intellectual curiosity.
As Master of the New College of the Humanities in London, Professor Grayling is pioneering a new form of education at tertiary level: one that links learning, stimulates creativity and seeks to prepare graduates for the complexities of the world beyond education. However, he readily accepts that this approach is equally relevant at school and was most impressed with the work we are undertaking with students at Sidcot that encourages a wide range of interests both in and outside the classroom.
IWK – June 2016