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Aims

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Our educational aims guide the School’s educational efforts, and outline the profile of a Dunalastair student.

Families that join Dunalastair are considered to know and accept these aims, and to commit themselves to working with the School towards their realisation, as we understand that families have the first responsibility in educating their children.

 

Principles

Dunalastair takes from the humanist tradition:

A recognition of the role of reason and emotion in the process of obtaining knowledge or understanding.

A respect towards others, that allows us to live in communities, and to collaborate with others in social activities.

Freedom, as a central human value, educating our students to make their own decisions.

The development of an esthetic sensibility as a way of developing creativity.

An awareness of other cultures, and an open non-discriminatory attitude towards the world.

An awareness of the advances of humanity in its various aspects: scientific, cultural, technological and ethical, thus encouraging our students to be active participants in one or more of these areas.

The importance of encouraging a critical spirit, able to evaluate the challenges and dangers that these developments may imply, and the deficiencies that can be improved.

A sense of responsibility that will make them social agents who will contribute to their community and country.

 

Student Profile

We educate our students through the conceptual understandings, skills and dispositions that will allow them to become:


Responsible citizens: who when acting do so with a sense of responsibility towards themselves, their school community, their society and the environment.  


Fair: aware of the shared behavioural expectations that make up a community, and respectful of the rights of all its members.  They treat others equally unless there are reasonable justifications to do otherwise.


Open-minded: willing to consider new ideas or those of others that are different from their own, even when holding strong personal convictions.


Innovative: capable of seeing things in a new light, whether it be designing solutions to problems or crafting new ideas about how to do something, and willing to act on these insights.


Autonomous: self-governing, free agents who are nevertheless aware of the importance of collaboration in human affairs.


Caring: kind, sympathetic and committed to helping others.


Critically thoughtful: reasons in a careful, methodical, dispassionate and reflective manner.