Character & Leadership Education

Character and Leadership Education (CLE)

Victoria School’s Character and Leadership Education (CLE) Programme is interwoven into all aspects of our students’ school life. Character Education is taught through the School’s Character and Citizenship Education lessons. It is also infused into our academic curriculum as part of the whole-school approach towards character education. In CCAs, character education is given priority as the boys are groomed to be disciplined team players and responsible leaders. Essentially, CLE aims to nurture compassionate, steadfast and principled young men who possess a sense of social responsibility and contribute positively to their family, community, nation and the world.

VS CLE Approach:

The framework highlights CLE as a process that aims to

ENRICH the lives of our Victorians’ lives through learning experiences to transmit values & good habits of mind and heart for good citizenship to thrive. These learning experiences include CLE lessons, Social Innovation Programme, Level Camps, Learning Journeys and Student Leadership Programme etc.

ENGAGE our Victorians’ cognition (head) and affect (heart) through use of life experiences, activity based experiential approach and guided reflections through the facilitation of the teachers. Over time, our Victorians can be a critical and innovative thinker, able to empathise with the others in the community, and contribute to the community.

EMPOWER every Victorians with skills, knowledge and attitude to initiate changes to improve the lives of others in the community, and seeing this as part of their social responsibilities and daily living, where their decisions are guided by sound principles, and anchoring on the school core values.

 

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

VS believes the manifestation of sound character is only possible with good SEL skills.  The social and emotional well-being programme for students seeks to develop the following competencies:

1. Self Awareness
2. Self Management
3. Social Awareness
4. Relationship Management
5. Responsible Decision Making

The CLE curriculum aims to develop our Victorians to have a good sense of self-awareness, a sound moral compass, and the necessary skills and knowledge to take on challenges of the future. He is responsible to his family, community and nation. He appreciates the beauty of the world around him, possesses a healthy mind and body, and has a zest for life.

In sum, he is:

• a confident person who has a strong sense of right and wrong, is adaptable and resilient, knows himself, is discerning in judgment, thinks independently and critically, and communicates effectively.
• a self-directed learner who questions, reflects, perseveres and takes responsibility for his own learning.
• an active contributor who is able to work effectively in teams, is innovative, exercises initiative, takes calculated risks and strives for excellence.
• a concerned citizen who is rooted to Singapore, has a strong sense of civic responsibility, is informed about Singapore and the world, and takes an active part in bettering the lives of others around him.

Source: https://www.moe.gov.sg/education/education-system/21st-century-competencies

 

Student Leadership Development

VS believes each Victorian is a leader. The school utilizes the EDGE (Experience, Develop, Grow, Excel) model for students to be groomed as competent leaders.

Our student leadership programmes enable the boys to be directly involved in planning, teamwork and effective execution of various tasks. With diligence, determination and discipline, all Victorians should excel at the end of Secondary 4 as a Leader in the mould of a Gentleman, Professional, and Sportsman.

The leadership opportunities are pitched at progressive levels so as to provide different levels of challenges:

Level of challenges	Description of challenges
Leading the Class	Design and implement rapport building activities for class Coordinate and enhance relevant student development programmes with teachers
Leading the CCAs, Boards and Houses	Prepare for competitions, both nationally and internationally Strategise, planning, implementing and reviewing training programme with CCA teachers
Leading the School	Organise school events, projects and functions Serve as advocates to drive school-directed programmes Plan and execute student-led initiatives

The following are the key leadership boards and positions:

Boards	Focus of Leadership Boards
Senior Leaders	Nurture Victorian culture and spirit among CCAs and student population within the school
Prefectorial Board	Promote positive school discipline and culture (e.g enhancing student welfare)
Monitors’ Council	Foster positive class spirit &culture (in terms of Administration, Discipline and Teacher-Student Link & Relations)
Peer Support Board	Provide social emotional support of peers and for lower secondary students (e.g transitional support)
CCA Committee Junior Leaders	Strengthen CCAs’ culture and excellence
House Captain	Strengthen House Spirit and excellence

 

Student Leadership Education

Student Leadership Education is instituted as part of Character and Leadership Education in Victoria School, in the quest of grooming upright and balanced individuals with leadership qualities. Student Leadership Education aims to instill in Victorians a spirit of achievement, to nurture them into becoming innovative and respected leaders.

The Student Leadership Practices in VS is built upon Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner’s “The Leadership Challenge” Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership. The table below gives a short introduction into the five practices.

	Model the Way Leaders establish principles concerning the way people should be treated and the way goals should be pursued. They create standards of excellence and then set an example for others to follow. They display and demonstrate the exemplary traits and values that they live by. In so doing, they act as effective role models for their peers and juniors alike.
	Inspire a Shared Vision Leaders passionately believe that they can make a difference. They envision the future, creating an ideal and unique image of what the CCA can become. Through their magnetism and quiet persuasion, leaders enlist others in their goals and targets for the CCA. They breathe life into their visions and enthuse others about the possibilities for the future.
	Challenge the Process Leaders search for opportunities to change the status quo. They look for innovative ways to improve the CCA.  In the school setting, student leaders should be confident in offering viable solutions to improve problems or situations that they may have identified.
	Enable Others to Act Leaders foster collaboration and build spirited teams. They actively involve others. Leaders understand that mutual respect is what sustains extraordinary efforts; they strive to create an atmosphere of trust and human dignity. They strengthen others, making each person feel capable and powerful.
	Encourage the Heart Accomplishing extraordinary things in the CCA is hard work. To keep hope, enthusiasm and determination alive, leaders recognize contributions that individuals make. In every winning team, the members need to share in the rewards of their efforts, so leaders celebrate accomplishments.

(Adopted from The Leadership Challenge Model by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner)