“It takes a village to raise a child.” The well-told proverb that suggest an entire community of people must interact with children in order for them to experience and grow in a safe and healthy environment. The collective work and guidance of those responsible to ensure the future generations of the community, to which they are born, are nurtured, held safe and supported, in order for them to flourish; allowing them to find their own path to adulthood and, in time, be the ones to cradle and foster the generations after them when their turn arrives.
Anthropologically, looking back on tribal and nomadic cultures, the role of 'the elders' was of significant importance in this collective ability of drawing a village together in order for the younger generations to acquire the skills and knowledge on their pathway to success. Of course, those adults, within these historic tribes and cultures, had their shared experience to draw upon in order to guide and support, steer and strengthen these burgeoning skills; nurturing youth in the secure mastery of lived experience both good and bad.
As each child blossoms into adulthood, the elders look on, safe in the knowledge that the tribe, village or cultural ethos they have developed, through this process of generational support, is self sustaining and, the legacy to which they leave behind, is grounded in the shared experience of every generation long after they have gone. In turn, allowing history to chart and document those cultures who have triumphed through every moment of adversity that came their way and those, sadly, who didn't. In summary, when the teaching is strong, the child will be stronger and, in turn, the village.
Every school across the globe takes their place within a ‘village’. Supporting generations, past and present, as pupils, parents, carers, families and friends interact on a daily basis in