Perhaps in our present pandemic crisis, it is appropriate to be looking at life-long learning. Microbiologists and medical experts are telling us how much there is to learn about a new strain of virus like this before they can really understand its behaviour and how to control it.

Given the complexity of the creation and of human beings, it is not surprising that there is an almost infinite amount of knowledge to be gained from the study of the world. In Western culture, we have somehow fallen into the false thinking that, because of our formalised approach to learning and the granting of qualifications, we can almost stop learning once we have achieved a qualification.

We serve a God who is infinite in complexity and He has created a world of incredible variety, filled with details to be discovered and understood. A lifetime of study still only gives us a small measure of understanding of any aspect of creation. Our lives should be a journey of discovery as we explore the material and social creation.

This can be a daunting prospect at times, but we need to help students see it also as an exciting and rewarding challenge. We must model to them the importance of continuous learning as the means to a flourishing life; a process that opens up more opportunities for us to try different things and use our gifts and abilities more effectively.

The Apostle Paul, in writing to the Colossians said, “… live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” This is an instruction with no time limit on it. We are expected to grow in knowledge throughout our life. Knowledge of God is gained as much through general revelation (the study of creation and humankind) as it is through the study of the Scriptures.

Learning must be valued as a primary tool for us to fulfil our purpose as human beings to care for the creation and develop flourishing societies. Sadly, in our culture, we often take learning for granted and do not value its importance in our lives. Living in Asia certainly showed me a very different perspective. Education is highly valued, and this is instilled in children from birth. We have lost something of this in our progressive and comfortable society and we need to recover it.

It is always a great sadness to me to hear of students in our school who are not learning themselves and who are disrupting the learning of others. This should not be the case. No one has the right to disrupt or interfere with the learning of others, instead they need to come to appreciate and respect the vital importance of learning. 

In this we need the support of parents. Your attitude to learning shapes your child’s attitude. If you really value learning of all kinds, not just formal education, your child will follow suit. Let’s work together to develop a reputation for GPCC as a focused place of learning for life.

Phillip Nash

Principal