From the Chair of Council
To be Human is a Skill Barker’s students are encouraged to look Beyond the Mint Gates, Gates an aspiration to develop practical and adaptable Global Competencies. Machines (eg computers) have significant cognitive capabilities and can do many jobs. It is possible that up to 40% of Australian jobs will not exist in 10 – 15 years. The good news is we all have competencies anchored in what makes us human, such as our creativity and our curiosity, which enable skill sets to set us apart from machines. They might embrace, for instance, the arts, or perhaps some wonderful new ideas in the sciences, in philosophy, in great literature, or in an innovative business strategy. It might also be about our ability to show empathy and tolerance to others or to be a good communicator, or it might be about our capacity to perform a highly unpredictable role.
The Head reports consistently and comprehensively to the School Council on these matters. We know how important it is for students to find an activity or experience which helps them grow emotionally, spiritually, physically and socially, so they can feel connected by particular groups/clubs/events and so they can contribute to a sense of belonging to the whole community. It also helps students to develop their capabilities and to identify their competencies in the context of employment opportunities well beyond their schooling years. This is why Barker has a Careers and Counselling Service open and available to support students as needed.
School Education is about future proofing students with these Global Competencies for an increasingly complex world:
Drawing upon their time at Barker, we want students to have an optimistic mindset about occupations to which they are best suited within a Jobs Cluster:
• Critical thinking and problem solving;
1. The Generators – interpersonal interaction, retail, sales, hospitality and entertainers;
• Communication; • Creativity and imagination; • Collaboration; • Citizenship; • Character. The School Council works in conjunction with the Head and his Executive so that there are resources and facilities within the Barker community to equip our students with the six Cs. In respect of the curriculumbased learning domains in the Pre-K to Year 12 teaching programs, Barker strives for integration and collaboration, and for the programs to be complemented by a diverse range of student cocurricular activities and experiences; eg in the various summer or winter sports, school leadership positions, Cadets, Performing Arts, Robotics, Duke of Edinburgh, Crusaders, Debating, School clubs, or in student participation in social justice, community service or international opportunities.
2. The Coordinators – administration and service tasks; 3. The Informers – information, education or business services; 4. The Carers – mental or physical health and wellbeing of others including medical and personal support services; 5. The Artisans – manual tasks related to construction, production, maintenance or technical customer service; 6. The Designers – science, mathematics and design to construct or engineer products or buildings; 7. The Technologists – skilled understanding and manipulation of digital technology. It is very much a case, as British columnist and radio presenter Katherine Whitehorn, once put it: 'Find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it.' David Charles (75) Chair of Council
Spring 2021 • Issue 132 • The Barker • 3
