Life 101, in school

MANILA, Philippines - Is it better to be street smart or book smart? Is it better to have quality education and academic learning, or to learn how to adapt to the real world? 

These old and limiting notions about learning are being changed by modern educators who believe in a more liberal and more holistic approach towards education. It is no longer a choice between being street smart or book smart, as schools like Bannister Academy pioneer a new kind of education that emphasizes both.

There is Bannister’s foundation in liberal education which is an approach to education that emphasizes the relationships between the different areas of learning.

Bannister’s unique emphasis on social intelligence, emphasizes the place of each individual within the larger context of society, so the student is reminded that his goals should benefit the society at large, too.

Bannister Academy has a unique Mentoring Program, which is founded on the belief that education is ultimately a one-on-one enterprise between the teacher and the student. It’s a more personal, more invested approach to teaching, and students aren’t “instructed” — they are nurtured and guided towards becoming better human beings.

The most telling difference between Bannister Academy and other schools is their ultimate goal of creating “Filipino influencers,” graduates who “have the ability to think for themselves, have the proper aptitudes and disposition for a lifetime of learning and discovery, and are able to make use of these talents to become contributing members of society,” says the school’s director, Raymond Villanueva.

Bannister aspires to create true leaders: adults who are intelligent and moral, who know that freedom and responsibility go hand in hand, and who aspire to be noble individuals.