The View From My Study – March 14 2025
Herzogenaurach in Germany has the moniker ‘the town of bent necks’ because people used to strain to see what shoes each other was wearing. Herzogenaurach was the birthplace of Adi and Rudolf Dassler, brothers born into a shoe-making family who famously fell out with each other and became rivals. In 1948 Adi formed Adidas while Rudolf established Puma.
The rift escalated as employees and local businesses aligned with one company or the other and tensions extended well beyond the little town. Competition over marketing, athlete sponsorship and innovation was fierce and the rivalry lasted for decades, even beyond the brothers’ deaths. Finally, in 2009, employees from both companies played a friendly soccer match to symbolically mark the end of the feud.
Conflict happens. People fall out with each other, even in families. The key is how one deals with it when it does happen.
Children need to understand that not everyone sees everything the same way and that is ok. In fact, if we didn’t have conflicting views on things, we wouldn’t have diversity, advancements in technology and medicine, enquiry and new ideas. Importantly though, a different opinion doesn’t need to mean a loss of friendship or negative relations. And it certainly doesn’t need to lead to violence and all the things we see in more serious conflicts around the world.
We work hard at BG on the children’s ability to develop an opinion and have the confidence to share it; to listen to others and consider their views; to reason, substantiate and reflect on all that they have seen and heard. The opportunities for discussion-based learning in our Insight sessions and PSHE lessons in particular, are invaluable and will help all Biltonians to live and work successfully in any society in the future.
Bearing all this in mind I was blown away by the success of our 6th Form High-fliers in the World Scholars Cup last week. Against 44 other teams, both state and independent, Bilton Grange dominated the podium in various individual and team competitions, with the most notable element being the quality of debating. The judges praised BG as a team for the advanced skills of reasoning and debate and this was wonderful to hear. (Please see the section below).
Growing up and learning to live with others is difficult. It is sometimes hard to accept the views and opinions of others if they differ from our own. Emotional maturity doesn’t happen overnight; it needs to be educated and supported with patience and care. At BG we’re aware of this and we work hard to support the conversations so that conflict, in all its forms, can be avoided.
Gareth features in the latest instalment of the IAPS Journal Club series hosted by Tim Smith, Head at Hampton Pre-Prep & Prep. Gareth is joined by Claire Fletcher, Head at Phoenix House International School in Tokyo (a feeder to Rugby School Japan) , with closing remarks from IAPS CEO, Dominic Norrish. You can listen to the podcast here
