Culture before learning goals. Always.
Jun 30, 2025Culture before learning goals. Always.
At allLearners, we often say:
👉 If your learning culture is strong, the goals follow naturally.
👉 If you focus only on goals, you often reveal a weak culture underneath.
Because when learners don’t know why they’re learning something,
when teachers have to rely on rules instead of relationships,
when behaviour needs managing instead of guiding…
…it’s usually not a motivation problem.
It’s a culture problem.
That’s why we help schools build visible foundations.
Shared values.
Mutual expectations.
A common language that says: “This is who we are.”
At most schools, we start small — clear posters throughout the building.
At Green School South Africa, they went big.
They dedicated an entire wall in the Sangkep (Balinese for gathering place) to their values, principles, and purpose — in both Afrikaans and English.
This is where learners, staff and families gather each Friday.
Not to get updates.
But to reflect. Celebrate. Reconnect with the “Why.”
🧱 No thick rulebooks.
🧭 Just a compass on the wall.
If a learner crosses a boundary, you don’t need to argue the rules.
You just walk together to the wall and ask:
“Does this align with who we say we are?”
Now that’s culture in action.
