My wife Caroline was a teacher trained in Special Education Needs in a Junior School. Her job was to take those who had special needs and give them individual help with reading writing and arithmetic tailored to their circumstances and abilities. She was brilliant at doing her job and visits to the local supermarket are still peppered with people coming up to her to say “hello, remember me” and then thanks for the work she did with them.
My grandson Aidan has just finished his first year at school and he found it difficult at first. However he is now a veteran and is looking forward to going into a big children’s class. When you see the 30 little tots pouring out of school at the end of the day you wonder how on earth their teacher copes with such an expressive, energetic, disparate and immature group of little human beings. It’s certainly not something I would attempt, finding it exhausting enough just to look after two little boys on the odd occasions when I am left in charge. And yet to Aidan, Miss Owen is the fountain of all wisdom and definitely she who must be obeyed. I take my hat off to all the “Miss Owen’s” who help to educate and inspire new generations.
When I look back to my own youth, there are many teachers who I have forgotten altogether but one or two stick in the mind for their encouragement and support during important times. The real influencers upon me were the leaders and members of the 2nd Bradford Grammar School Scouts. I learned such a lot from membership of the Troup. It fostered my interest in walking, maps and the countryside which all came from those experiences. I well remember one time when as patrol leader, my patrol had to cook a meal for the whole Troup. I panicked when I couldn’t get the fire going. I ran to my seconder Hugh Scott who calmly went about the task of getting the fire lit and the meal on the go. That was a lesson in delegation and staying calm if ever there was one.
Mr Oates (Titus as he was universally called) was our Scout leader and he gave up hours of time to help young people like me mature into adults who would themselves better contribute to society. I am eternally grateful to him and many others who helped me during my youth. Likewise, Debbie Wharton is not particularly well known but she was the inspiration behind the Maindy Flyers, a cycling club for young riders in Cardiff. I don’t suppose she thinks she is all that special but she is one of many thousands of adults who work with young children in so many different areas to help them have experiences which may well influence or, even radically, change a life.
Debbie now has a photograph with the winner of the Tour de France. There is a very young looking Geraint Thomas just starting out in life and developing a nascent interest in cycling. As they say the rest is history. But if the likes of Debbie had not bothered, then that opportunity would never have existed. We all need that start and to be inspired by more than just reading, writing and arithmetic, however important those basic skills might be.
A recent report has highlighted that we are in danger of marginalising creativity in our education system as we concentrate on the basics and go more and more back to learning by rote. A good education is much wider than that. The real value adds are often those supplied by the likes of Debbie Wharton and Titus Oates. We owe a great deal to those who inspired us and let’s hope we too can make a difference in inspiring the next generation to be good citizens and attain their life long dreams.