School Helps Students and Parents Cope with Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to students and teachers around the world. Students in a large number of countries are still affected due to school closures. In Korea, the situation is a bit better. Yet teachers are in an uphill battle to prevent the quality of education from deteriorating. Gudmundur Jonsson, the new head of Dulwich College Seoul, also faces the problem. Yet the school, he says, has built up considerable expertise in the area of blended learning over these last months. Many of its staff attended summer courses with the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Furthermore, its staff regularly collaborates with colleagues in other Dulwich network schools in Asia. In an interview with BusinessKorea, Jonsson, an education expert from Iceland, also talked about how the school, which has students aged 4 to 18, helps students and parents cope with the impact of the pandemic. He also explained his educational philosophy and vision for Dulwich College Seoul. Here are excerpts from the interview. – Ed.
How has your transition to Korea been? How do you like it so far?
My wife and I are here in Seoul with our two children. We have come from Norway where I was the head of the United World College Red Cross Nordic. The contrast with Norway couldn’t be sharper! From the fjords, mountains and forests to the hustle and bustle of city life. And what an extraordinary city this is. We have been made to feel very welcome and are hugely impressed by Seoul. I don’t think I have lived in a cleaner, safer city, and I love the numerous trails and green areas throughout the city. We still haven’t managed to get out of the city – I cannot wait to explore the mountains, islands and coastlines of Korea.
How does Dulwich College Seoul differ from schools you have previously worked at?
Most of the other schools I have worked at have been on the outskirts of the city or in fairly isolated locations. The central location of our campus adds a level of energy and vibrancy to our College, and it feels very connected to our locality – it is also wonderful to have the river so close to us. Being part of a family of Schools and Colleges across Asia also provides us with numerous opportunities for collaboration and growth for our community members.
What is your overall vision and plan for Dulwich College Seoul both short and long-term?
We continue to strive for academic excellence in all that we do. We want to ensure that every student not only fulfils their potential but exceeds it. At the same time, it is important to engage in meaningful initiatives that focus on sustainability and community wellbeing. This current pandemic has brought these issues into sharp focus across the globe. We want all of our community members to feel a real sense of belonging and connectedness to the College – a place where they feel safe, nurtured and supported. A home away from home.
What is your education philosophy?
In essence, it is very simple. I believe that young people grow and thrive best when given the opportunity to take meaningful ownership of their learning and when given responsibility as active citizens within their school community. Schools will far too often promote closed thinking in their drive to secure successful exam results, and this can come at the expense of healthy growth and development. At Dulwich College Seoul we want our students to develop their confidence and sense of purpose through the holistic education we offer. I want students to be excited about going to school and to feel empowered to develop a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Academic learning is important, but strong learning also comes from play, collaboration and risk-taking.
The mental health of students is a major concern these days as a result of COVID-19. How is Dulwich helping the students and parents to cope?
The current pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated the complex mental health challenges faced by students around the globe, particularly for students in the 14-19 year age range. It is clear that our community has been impacted by this pandemic, and for many of us we do not fully comprehend how this has impacted our senses of identity, security, stability, belonging and purpose. It is important that we support and nurture the wellbeing of all community members in order to foster a sense of belonging and cohesiveness.
We have an extensive support network for our students. Every member of staff is there to support our young people in their growth and learning. Each student also has a Tutor or Class Teacher who checks in with them on a regular basis. In addition, all of our teachers and students receive extensive safeguarding training. This means our community has a clear idea of who they can speak to whenever they may feel unsafe or worried. We are also fortunate in having a strong team of Counsellors and Learning Support specialists, and they proactively reach out to students on a day-to-day basis.
What do you think needs to be done to mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic on learning?
This has been an incredibly dynamic situation, and we have had to make numerous changes over these past weeks as new and updated mandates come through from the authorities. What is clear is that we have built up considerable expertise in the area of blended learning over these last months. Many of our staff attended summer courses with the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and it has been exciting to see this expertise being developed here at the College. This has also been a key focus for our family of Schools and Colleges, and this is where the real power of being part of a group comes into play. Our staff regularly collaborates with colleagues across Asia.
This situation has also raised concerns around the structures surrounding public examinations, with significant issues coming to light around the issuing of exam results for recent graduates worldwide. This continues to be an area of development across the globe and it is clear that individual schools and, ultimately, teachers, need to be given more ownership of the assessment process. There are real opportunities for making positive changes and it is exciting to be part of the Dulwich College International team in driving forward some of these developments.