Critical thinking and ethics take centre stage In 2022 Newington College established its Critical Thinking and Ethics Quarters…and there is much, much more to come. Visionary astrophysicist Carl Sagan said: ‘We make our planet ‘When students’ curiosity is sparked, we begin the process of significant by the courage of our questions and the depth of inquiry. Curiosity shows itself in the questions our students ask and our answers’. as such, professional discussions of late have centred around how to promote and nurture student questioning. After all, as physicist His words are captured on an outsized banner that now hangs Richard Feynman says, “There is no learning without having to pose outside Newington College’s first Critical Thinking and Ethics a question.”’ Quarters, housed in the Tupou Centre. They are a constant reminder to students that thinking is no light pursuit: this one Jeremy Hall agrees that curiosity is at the centre of critical thinking. sentence perhaps encapsulates not only why we think, also the reverberation of our thoughts on how we see the world. ‘With curiosity comes open-mindedness – an openness to new ideas, an openness to other people, an openness to the world Every school strives to educate its students, to provide beyond the classroom. opportunities to learn broadly and deeply. ‘The Centre for Critical Thinking and Ethics is committed to creating Newington’s focus on critical thinking – the capacity to question, opportunities for students to engage in respectful dialogue, to learn listen, explore, sift and perhaps change your view – takes those from others’ ideas and perspectives and explore the pressing issues aims a significant step further. facing young Australians in the 21 century.st In the years to come it will become a centrepiece of the fearless ‘With curiosity comes the ability to see beyond the obvious, liberal education the College provides. interrogate sources, be aware of bias and flawed reasoning. These are skills that are being taught deliberately and explicitly in our new The Quarters are the first physical manifestation of Newington’s critical thinking courses.’ plan to become the home of critical and ethical thinking. Behind the scenes, each subject has been reviewed to make Workshops, classes, professional development and strategy sure it encourages students to think with open minds and clear meetings are already being held in the Critical Thinking and Ethics eyes. Challenging accepted positions and ideas with rational and Quarters. It will also be used to road test what the full centre will considered arguments isn’t just accepted – it’s encouraged. ultimately need and look like. Our very popular ethics lecture series – a feature of the College for 11 years – will be an integral part of it. In the years to come, a Centre for Critical Thinking and Ethics will be built in the space currently occupied by Concordia. It will house Headmaster Michael Parker has been a driving force behind the an institution that is not just for Newington but for the benefit of focus on critical thinking at Newington. schools everywhere. ‘Critical thinking and ethics have been identified time and time The Quarters (and ultimately the Centre for Critical Thinking again as fundamental skills and values for any school worth its salt. and Ethics) will be headed by Co-directors Dr Britta Jensen This is never more so in a century in which AI is gaining ever more and Dr Jeremy Hall. traction, the existential issues of a heating planet confront us, and our faith in how we know things totters. Dr Jensen said the aim is to put student agency and student thinking at the heart of classroom practice. ‘We can’t change the whole world. But we can change our tiny corner of the world for the better by helping our boys think critically ‘Curiosity is fundamental to ignite the learning process,’ she said. and ethically and helping them be good.’ 18 | Curiosity | News Autumn 2022 |Stanmore 7–12