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Mrs Kirollos
Head of Campus

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.

– Jeremiah 29:11

 

I’m not sure if there are many people out there who are entirely comfortable with releasing control in their lives. I often catch myself trying to smooth the path for my own children, hoping (perhaps unrealistically) that by doing so, I help shape their happiness.

Perceived conflict, perceived failure and perceived discomfort is often the catalyst for why we endeavour to control the uncontrollable. It is out of fear that we are reluctant to release control. These perceived threats compel us to grasp for certainty, and yet time and time again, we are reminded about how little control we have.

In education, we’re very familiar with the concept of literacy. We spend time measuring it and supporting students to improve it. More recently, we are becoming accustomed to associated terms, such as health literacy, digital literacy and media literacy.

A less familiar concept, that is equally significant, is futures literacy.

 

What is futures literacy?

According to UNESCO, “It is the skill that allows people to better understand the role of the future in what they see and do. Being futures literate empowers the imagination, enhances our ability to prepare, recover and invest as changes occur”.¹

This term our Year 11 Pastoral Program builds on the Career lessons they engaged with in Year 10. Quite explicitly, throughout the term, our Year 11 students will hear messages that reinforce the following thinking:

  • Life rarely follows a straight line
  • It is ok (and in fact perfectly normal) that interests change, and new unexpected opportunities emerge
  • Success looks different for everyone and changes over time
  • There are many valid paths that can lead to a fulfilling life.

Year 11 students will use self-reflective tools such as their ‘futures compass’, to engage with futures literate thinking. They will collaborate with their peers to consider what is within their control and what is not.

Being in control can feel great, but it can also create angst when things don’t go the way you had intended for them to go. Our rigid expectations of the future can often be our unravelling.

Our hope is that students can find comfort in releasing some control and that this is grounded in God’s plan for them. That students might embrace futures literate thinking, to increase their engagement with the capabilities that best align with their post-school journey.

 

1. UNESCO, Futures Literacy, accessed August 2, 2025, https://www.unesco.org/en/futures-literacy/about.