‘Do not quench the Spirit.  Do not despise the words of the prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.’ (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)

Intellectual integrity is at the heart of every authentic educational institution – including schools.

In our pursuit of excellence, we welcome diversity, creativity and ‘thinking beyond the square’.  We need teachers and school communities willing to pursue truth and effectiveness in adventurous ways.

But this is not a license for thoughtless and merely pragmatic approaches that do not reflect wise discernment.  Pooled wisdom must not be confused with pooled ignorance.

Our professional practice is supported by foundational disciplines which explore educational purpose, ways of learning and developing, effective pedagogies, and strategies for planning and organising learning opportunities and managing resources.

There is a collective, professional wisdom in all of this which must be taken into account.

The principle of intellectual integrity demands respect for accepted theory, research and the best practice of our profession.  It is an important guiding principle for leading and planning.