Colfe’s in the Sunday Telegraph
Colfe’s School appeared in the Sunday Telegraph at the weekend in an article discussing the school’s Eudaimonia wellbeing initiative.
Roughly translating to “human happiness” or “flourishing”, the Eudaimonia programme draws upon Aristotelian philosophy to help pupils improve their wellbeing. The sessions investigate what a “good life” looks like and suggests it can be achieved, as Aristotle claimed, by linking virtuous behaviour with happiness.
Eudaimonia lessons are taught to pupils from Year 7 to Year 13, looking at six topics – Care of the Mind, Mindfulness, Spirituality and Meaning, Care of our Place in the World, Care of the Body, Sex and Relationships and Resilience and Leadership – through an Aristotelian lens.
A.C. Grayling, a notable philosopher and author of The Good Book: A Humanist Bible and speaker at the launch of the programme said, “The Colfe’s initiative on wellbeing and well-doing (Aristotle’s concept of Eudaimonia) is an excellent idea – imaginative and constructive, it is exactly what schools should be getting their pupils to think about. I would love to see this idea implemented in all schools.”
Head of Philosophy Emerald Henderson, who teaches the course, believes the well-being initiative is more important than ever in a society where young people’s lives are dominated by social media. She said “This is a well-being initiative with intellectual integrity and pastoral appeal. Rather than simply focusing on pursuit of their own happiness, the Eudaimonia programme sees personal flourishing as the by-product of living a morally good life.”
The programme has been well-received by parents. John Cameron OBE, head of Childline at the NSPCC, said “The Eudaimonia approach has enabled my son to consider the importance of how to be content, through the appropriate balance between work and play and establishing healthy helpful relationships with his friends. This has led to a more confident well balanced young man keen to meet the challenges in the future.
You can read the Telegraph article here.
