20 Apr 2015

A quotation from a letter by Church of England bishops concerning the forthcoming election:

“The purpose of education is not simply to prepare people to be economic units but to nurture their ability to flourish as themselves and to seek the flourishing of others.”

“Who is my neighbour?” paragraph 85 (www.churchofengland.org/GeneralElection2015)

29 Sep 2014

We are restarting our Thought for the Week with a quotation about education - a challenge to all of us:

“The biggest obstacle to learning something new is the belief that you already know it.”

Zen Master (source unknown)

8 - 15 Nov 2009

In the week which begins with Remembrance Sunday and includes Armistice Day (11th November), a thought about ‘peace’:

“Establishing lasting peace is the work of education;
all politics can do is keep us out of war.”

Maria Montessori (1870-1952; Italian physician, educator and philosopher).

1 - 8 Mar 2009

Our quotation this week implies the question, ‘In what ways are we open to change?’:

"The mind is like an umbrella – it only works when it is open".

Sir James Jeans (1877-1946, physicist)

We can be open to change in terms of understanding the physical world, or how we view an artistic method. But what about being open to change about our beliefs or our values? Beliefs – religious or non-religious – and values go deep within us and make us who we are. On the positive side, changing our mind about what we believe or what we think is right / wrong can help us to become more mature, to grow in understanding what it is to be human and also to grow in faith. But is there a negative side?

15 - 22 Feb 2009

This quotation is in a similar vein to last week’s - just in case you were confused by it:

“The great end of education is to discipline the mind;
to train it to the use of its own powers,
rather than fill it with the accumulation of others.”

Tyron Edwards (1809-1894, American theologian, best known for compiling a book of quotations).

All quotations simplify complex ideas, not least this one, so do respond with your own thoughts.

8 - 15 Feb 2009

The theme of our new series this semester is all things pertaining to understanding and wisdom. You may well know our first quotation:

“Education is not filling a bucket but lighting a fire.”

William Butler Yeats (1865-1939, Irish poet and dramatist)

16 - 24 Nov 2008

Many of us are naturally resistant to change: change in routine, or change in the way we work, or change in our ideas and what we believe. Yet as we learn more about the world and ourselves, we are challenged to change:

"The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn – and change"

Carl Rogers (1902–1987, psychologist)