From the Director of Strategic Initiatives

Collectively Better: How Diversity Trumps Ability 

One of the books I am reading at the moment is Letters to a Young Educational Reformer* and serendipitously, the chapter I read this morning is titled The Value in Talking with Those Who Disagree. This morning I was also reading the news about the hunt for the American gunman after the shooting of Charlie Kirk yesterday. I can’t help but see the irony in reading these two different texts on the same day. Both address the issue of interpreting facts in different ways, both address the reality of disagreement, and both refer to how we can respond when someone holds a position.

I am not going to write about the situation at Utah Valley University but I do want to talk about how we raise young people to be collectively better. That is, actively pursuing and including different voices as a tool for improvement, rather than a threat to be dealt with. 

For all of us it is natural and easy to fall into the habit of surrounding ourselves with people who think the same way we do. Students are no different, or perhaps even more so as they are so closely influenced by the choices their parents make. They often choose friends who share their tastes, join clubs with those who like similar things, and follow voices online that reinforce what they already believe. This creates comfort, but it can also create blind spots. It creates groupthink situations and echo chambers where a different voice moves from simply being a different idea to something wrong, and in the experience in America recently, something to be rejected. 

Without exposure to different perspectives, our young people may struggle to see the full picture, recognise alternative solutions, or appreciate the complexity of real-world issues. Talking with those who disagree teaches students to think more deeply. When they are challenged, they must pause and examine their reasoning. They learn to ask themselves: “Why do I think this?” and “Could there be another way of looking at it?” This builds resilience and humility, reminding them that no one has all the answers. In a world that prizes quick opinions and fast reactions, learning to slow down, listen, and reconsider is a vital life skill.

Engaging with disagreement also helps students practise empathy. To genuinely hear someone else’s view, they must put themselves in that person’s shoes. This doesn’t mean abandoning their own beliefs, but it does mean appreciating the experiences and values that shape another’s position. Whether in a classroom discussion, a group project, or a playground debate, these small moments of perspective-taking nurture compassion and respect.

Of course, disagreement can be uncomfortable. Students may fear conflict or worry about offending others. Yet the discomfort is part of the learning. Just as muscles grow stronger through resistance, minds grow stronger through grappling with ideas that push them. By creating safe, structured opportunities for students to disagree respectfully such as in debates, in collaborative problem-solving, in literature discussions we help them build confidence in navigating differences and sets them up for a world that is (especially online) combative, divisive and dismissive.

As the adults in students’ lives we need to model disagreeing well and separating the discussion point from the person. Often, we hear students make sweeping statements about a person, when in reality it is a small issue that is getting taken out of proportion. Slowing down, teaching that not every discussion needs to be a win/loss situation and making a clear call to say ‘we don’t agree and we won’t agree so let’s leave this topic for the sake of the relationship.’ One of the best situations I have heard of this was from two of my uncles talking about the time of the Vietnam war. David, the younger brother was at university and heavily involved in protests against the war and bailing protesters out of local police stations. At the same time Richard, the older brother was preparing for his first tour in an infantry division. Despite having different readings and takes on the war, they remained very close and were able to manage the tensions effectively. 

Being collectively better prepares students for life beyond school. University classrooms, sports teams, workplaces, communities, and families are all filled with differing opinions and competing priorities. Success will not come from silencing disagreement but from listening carefully, weighing evidence, and finding common ground. Students who can do this will be better equipped to work in teams, to lead thoughtfully, and to make decisions that stand up under pressure.

At the same time, it is important to reassure students that engaging with disagreement does not mean surrendering their own beliefs. Rather, it is about refining them. When students hear other perspectives, they may discover weaknesses in their arguments or blind spots in their assumptions. They may also find that their core convictions are strengthened because they now understand them more deeply. Either way, the process makes them more grounded and more articulate.

In our school, we can encourage this habit in simple but powerful ways. We can model respectful disagreement as adults, showing that colleagues can differ in opinion while maintaining trust and good humour. We can design learning experiences that ask students to consider multiple sides of an issue rather than rushing to a single “right” answer. We can celebrate moments when students change their minds because of new evidence, treating this not as weakness but as intellectual courage.

The broader lesson here is that disagreement is not something to be feared. It is something to be embraced as a normal and necessary part of growth. For students, it can sharpen their thinking, deepen their empathy, and strengthen their resilience. For our community, it can foster trust, openness, and a culture of genuine dialogue.

Hess’s reminder is simple but profound: progress comes not from surrounding ourselves only with those who agree, but from seeking out those who see differently and engaging them with respect. For our students, learning this lesson now will prepare them for lives of curiosity, courage, and connection. And for our school, it will help us nurture young people who are ready not just to succeed, but to contribute meaningfully to the world around them.

*Hess, F. (2017) Letters to a Young Educational Reformer. Harvard Education Press.    

Christopher Sanders

Director of Strategic Initiatives