Invicta Vlogs
Mutual Respect and Tolerance
Welcome Back! I hope you have all had a lovely Easter holiday.
This week, our theme is ‘Mutual Respect and Tolerance’. All schools are required to help children to understand the British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith.
We will be focussing on these qualities over the course of this week - how they fit in with the qualities expected of students world-wide, but very importantly, at Invicta too. Our main focus will be on the mutual respect for and tolerance of other people and their beliefs.
Over the holiday, I heard a story on the radio about a mountaineer, a cyclist and a runner all embarking on a journey to the top of a mountain. Before they set off on their journey, the trio argued about who would make it to the top first. Putting aside their differences, they all eventually reached the summit where their argument changed to ‘who had the best view’? The mountaineer, cyclist and runner all took different routes and had very different views of the scenery, but they all achieved the same goal. Listening to the story, the radio presenter was relaying how it was important to respect each other’s individual views in life. They then drew the listeners’ attention to ‘The Golden Rule’ and the underlying message found in many religions of ‘Treating others as you expect to be treated yourself’.
It also talked about respect in more general terms and about the work of some key figures who made a huge difference in standing up for respect and equal treatment of different groups:
- William Wilberforce led the twenty-year movement to stop the Slave Trade in 1807.
- Emmeline Pankhurst helped women to win the right to vote.
- Martin Luther King who, in one of the greatest speeches ever delivered stated ‘I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.’
The work of these brave and inspirational figures was heroic, and they help us to see the importance of respecting one another regardless of our differences. I listened with interest about how the need for respect and tolerance is an ongoing battle in society. This made me think about how our students will be the next generation to make sure that regardless of skin colour, sex and beliefs everyone should be treated equally and with respect. All sectors of society have a role to play in ensuring respect and equality. However, I strongly believe that schools are a critical element of this role. As such, I hope that our girls/boys will reflect on their discussions this week in the same way that I did, when listening to the piece on the radio last week. What is clear is that these discussions are extremely important and that in the same way, William Wilberforce, Emmeline Pankhurst and Martin Luther King stood up for equality and respect, we must educate our students to do the same!
Mrs Derrick
Headteacher
