VIEWS & OPINION Teaching tolerance: a skill for life Comment by FELICIA JACKSON, Chair of the Learn2Think Foundation


The UN International Day for Tolerance took place last month, and there couldn’t be a more important time to think about what we mean by tolerance, and the role it plays in building a fairer society. It’s important to remember that tolerance is about the promotion of peace, and of human rights. It’s not about putting up with something you don’t like, but about demanding that everyone has access to the same rights as you. As UNESCO puts it: “ Education


for tolerance should aim at countering influences that lead to fear and exclusion of others, and should help young people develop capacities for independent judgement, critical thinking and ethical reasoning. The diversity of our world’s many religions, languages, cultures and ethnicities is not a pretext for conflict, but is a treasure that enriches us all.” At the heart of what we do at Learn2Think is to encourage children to ask their own questions, because we believe this lies at the root of tolerance, building on children’s innate sense of what’s ‘fair’. Through this process of questioning they gain alternate perspectives, engage and ‘own’ curiosity, develop active listening and critical thinking skills, and can begin give up the need to be right and see ‘the other’ as wrong. By developing such an approach to thinking deeply about the larger questions in life, children can be equipped with the tools not simply to challenge the status quo, but to prepare them for the challenges they face in a rapidly changing world.


If we’re going to build a society of tolerant, curious, open-minded, flexible and innovative thinkers, we must teach children to think about the world differently.


No one can deny that this world is one of extremes: extreme inequality and injustice, extreme weather and its impacts; extreme polarisation about politics and even worse, the politicisation of basic human rights. Climate change and extreme weather are part of a global system, and any action anywhere in the world influences the system overall. Misinformation doesn’t stop at borders or individuals but is shared around the world, all the while eroding trust in the institutions created to manage our societies. Yet there are flaws within those institutions, which often suffer from systemic racism, sexism and homophobia – these have got to be addressed.


It is important to start focusing on building trust, building understanding. Tolerance, critical engagement and putting oneself in another’s shoes – these are ways of helping people to understand that their privilege is an accident of birth and that when we have access to rights that others’ don’t, we also have a duty to ensure a fairer more equitable future for all.


It’s an enormous job and one that requires work from millions of actors and institutions around the world – but every little action will make a difference. So this year, to mark Tolerance Day 2022 we’re offering a free copy of our guide to Teaching Tolerance – just email learn2thinkfoundation@gmail.com for your copy. Whether you want to explore it at school or in your home, it’s a first step towards thinking about the world in a different way.


Striving for sustainable solutions with LapSafe® Comment by DENISE CROUCH, Head of Sales & Marketing, LapSafe


We all want to protect our future, meaning we all need to take responsibility for the way we operate and the daily choices we make. The government have set the target to reach net zero by 2050, therefore we need to come together to implement strategies to meet these targets. This is important in all sectors, but more specifically education. We are building the future and setting examples for the next generation, therefore sustainable practices should be at the front of our


priorities. Sustainability is a core value at LapSafe® and we are proud to have a range of products that can help customers meet their net zero targets and grow towards a more sustainable future.


Sustainable products


Easy device management means you can manage devices in volume efficiently, allowing you to cut down on wasted energy, reduce costs, and ensure devices are working at their best. With the growth of energy bills, we all want to save as much as possible, using energy efficient products can save you thousands on your energy bills.


LapSafe®’s products are designed to withstand the test of time and can be upgraded as needs change. With longevity and sustainability in mind, PETROC College have been using our Mentor™ Trolleys since 2006, highlighting the sustainability of our trolleys.


“They are robust enough to have lasted five to ten years with our initial


laptops and then they were upgraded to accommodate Chromebooks. The LapSafe® Service Team came in and upgraded them quickly and easily”


December 2022 Working to ISO standards


LapSafe® pride ourselves on the quality of products we design, manufacture, and deliver. To ensure we consistently work to the highest standards, we are ISO accredited for ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015. This ensures our products and working practices meet the highest of international standards and, wherever possible, we adopt the four R’s: Reduction, Re-use, Repair & Recycle.


As a business we are always striving to work with others with a similar mind-set to help reduce our environmental impact, and as such, most of our business partners and suppliers also work to these same standards.


Made in Britain


In 2022 we became members of ‘Made in Britain’, an organisation which exists to promote creativity, high standards and sustainable growth to the world.


Our membership endorses that our products are officially recognised as manufactured and assembled within Great Britain and highlights our commitment to British manufacturing. We support British companies wherever possible, not only in manufacturing and production but in all areas of our business.


Supporting local and regional companies is important to our brand as we can ensure quality in our community of partners. This also helps us minimise the environmental impact of our manufacturing processes especially with reduced shipping and transportation.


There is no doubt we all need to work towards a sustainable future, we review our environmental objectives regularly to reassure ourselves and our customers that we are doing all we can to improve. Our ethos is to deliver on our promises, focus on quality, protect our environment, and provide excellent customer service and support.


To find out more about our commitment to sustainability, check out our blog page at lapsafe.com.


www.education-today.co.uk 25


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46