Character Education and the Good Man Journey
An address to the boys and staff of College – 6 March 2023
You are all on your own unique and specific Good Man Journey. Your Good Man Journey is guided by the principles of our College Credo and pledge along with our core values. You are mentored according to those values and our unique Character Education Mentor programme is facilitated through the housemasters and mentors. For the boarders, this is complimented through the cell or core groups that you are allocated to. Sixth formers in the school all have a tutor who mentors them in the pathway to adulthood and being a good real man of substance and integrity.
According to Luyvie Asayi “Being a good man is something you do, not something you are.”
Let me remind you as to what Character Based Education is: “Character based education fosters ethical, responsible and caring young people by modelling and teaching good character.” When boys were asked what the definition of a good man is, the following qualities emerged: …honesty, loyalty, integrity and a good sense of humour stood out above others…”
In 2019, Maritzburg College embarked on an international best practice research model viz The Pathway to Excellence: Becoming a Good Man. We entitled it Character Education: The Good Man Journey. We are participating in this programme in our joint endeavours to ensure that our boys are striving ‘to be the best that you can be’ with the support of your teachers and mentors.
Through our involvement in both national and international research in boys’ education, we have been able to benchmark ourselves against some of the best schools in the world. Both teachers and boys were involved in the research.
It is now my pleasure to introduce Prof Cummins.
Prof Phil Cummins is an educator by trade and conviction. In his daily role now as managing partner at ‘a School for tomorrow’, he helps schools across the globe honour the new social contract for education: Today’s learning for tomorrow’s world. He’s highly regarded as an expert in strategy, governance, and leadership in schools, as well as Indigenous education and boys’ education.
Prof Cummins began his career teaching History and Latin and coaching cricket, rugby and debating. For over three decades, he’s been teaching, thinking, writing, speaking, and leading in schools and tertiary institutions all over the world.
Prof Cummins has also led the world’s longest running and largest global research programme in character education. He believes that an education for character, competency and wellness is the reason why we do “school”; it’s the whole work of a school.
Prof Cummins spoke on the topic of “A Life of Purpose”
Key points highlighted included the following:
To live a GOOD LIFE
- Connect with something bigger than yourself
- Embark on a personal journey of exploration and discovery / pathway to excellence
- Live a life of giving to others
- Transform yourself and then seek to transform others, by your own example
- Live a life of purpose – have a reason for everything you do and do it, do things that matter
- Know who you are now, and who you are becoming
- Spend time on Self Reflection
- Who am I?
- Where do I fit in?
- How can I best serve others?
- What is my calling? vocation
- Find your purpose
- Your journey must be both ongoing and intentional
- It takes time to become a good man
- Because best you can be
- Hold on to right values
- Aspire to great things and THRIVE