School is Sacred: A Philosophy of Education for Our Time

School can be an epicenter for expressing what troubles or energizes the wider community. Taking a step back from the messiness of today’s issues and clarifying what we mean by school may provide a new or refreshed lens for viewing these institutions. Schools are sacred, not in a religious sense but in terms of their potential value. At all levels of schooling, teaching and learning are its sacred tasks. And teaching and learning are sacred because the knowledge and skills they impart can potentially open the learner’s mind to meaning-making, wisdom, and self-understanding, where values are clarified and life commitments are made. Seeing the school as sacred implies that its environs are sacred space, its schedules are sacred time, and its actions are sacred rites. They are to be respected, protected, and nurtured. This has profound implications for our demeanor and actions, teaching approaches, curriculum planning, administrative priorities, policy-making, and resourcing.