The Bedrock of Character:
Why Culture is a Non-Negotiable in Modern Education
For the first time in modern human history there are concerns that the generation currently progressing through formal education is performing lower than their preceding cohort[1]. This represents an alarming rupture in the human trajectory of intergenerational progress and therefore raises urgent and critical questions. Namely, how can educational institutions adapt to better support young people in reversing this decline and distinguishing themselves in an increasingly competitive global context.
One compelling solution does not lie in expanded educational technology, novel curricula, or even the revision of assessment frameworks, but rather in a more foundational domain: the intentional cultivation of a culture that develops character, grounded in a clearly articulated and consistently enacted system of virtues. Schools with a positive, coherent and identifiable culture are well placed to teach and develop a young person's character.
Culture as a Vehicle for Nurturing Character
For decades, providing an all-round education has been a key selling point for independent schools and rightly so. To place culture at the nexus of character formation is not a departure from this necessity, but a deliberate means of achieving it.
Culture shapes behaviour. Behaviour, repeated over time crystallises into character. Individuals with strong positive and well-developed character traits such as work ethic, integrity and inquisitiveness are better equipped not only to succeed in school but to flourish beyond it. Institutions proudly display pillars of education, carefully framed mission statements, and values posters of which all have a place. It is widely accepted that character is educable and therefore can be reinforced by teaching. This can be supported by helping young people develop virtue literacy with the goal of improving their recognition of where virtues are needed, present or absent and subsequently influencing how and what they learn.
These school frameworks provide structure and give senior leaders a sense of clarity and direction. Assemblies have an important role to play in shaping or reinforcing culture, especially if delivered by recognised role models. However, schools must not let these aspirations translate into virtue signalling. Sherborne Boys’ approach is informed by the Jubilee Centre, which is a pioneering, interdisciplinary research centre that champions the message that virtues must be lived, not just laminated[2]. Culture is built on the shop floor. It emerges from shared experiences, shared hardships, and shared standards. It is lived daily, coached relentlessly, and modelled consistently in every classroom, on every sports field, and in every boarding house. Culture is caught through role modelling; it is developed organically and then absorbed. Once embedded it can then be shaped into character which in turn can be refined through teaching.
Importance of Character in the Workplace
The modern workplace is undergoing a quiet but fundamental transition from a skills-based value system to a character-based one[3]. Rapid advances in technology and automation continue to reduce many technical skills to redundancy. What endures are virtues such as work ethic, self-discipline, reliability, and resilience. These qualities might soon dominate job interviews more than technical competencies.
Never has it been easier for a young person to outperform their peers than in 2026. Simply stepping away from a phone gives a young person almost twice as much time as most of their peers every single day. After almost two decades of mentoring young people, one pattern has been remarkably consistent: the highest-achieving and happiest individuals are those the furthest from their phones and social media. They are more focused, more resilient, and more grounded. They engage more deeply with the real world and their neighbours within it.
If we are serious about fulfilling our educational duty and reversing the decline we are witnessing in generation Alpha, we must stop the search for yet another piece of software. Character is not downloaded, outsourced, or automated. It is forged in a positive, risk-taking culture. By deliberately nurturing cultures that value self-discipline over distraction, effort over ease, and integrity despite inconvenience, educational institutions will give rise to young people that realise their innate potential: not merely to keep up, but lead. The solution is not complicated, but it will require courage, consistency, and conviction from older generations. Culture might just be the bedrock on which character education can grow.
[1] The Learning Crisis: Three Years After COVID-19 (2025) Gajderowicz, Jakubowski, Kennedy, Kjeldsen, Patrinos & Strietholt.
This study examines international assessment data (TIMSS 2023) and finds a global average decline in student achievement in maths and science following widespread pandemic disruptions, even after adjusting for long-term trends. It highlights how the most recent cohorts of students scored significantly lower than expected based on pre-pandemic progress.
[2] The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues is a pioneering, interdisciplinary research centre based at the University of Birmingham, focusing on the importance of character, virtues, and values for human flourishing. Founded in 2012, it promotes a moral concept of character, arguing that virtues can be taught and are essential for public and professional life.
[3] The World Economic Forum (WEF) – Published T’he Future of Jobs Report’ 2025 The WEF consistently tracks the shifting "value system" of the workplace. Their longitudinal data shows that while "Manual Dexterity" or "Quality Control" dominated the 20th century, the top 10 skills for 2025 and beyond are almost entirely character-based.
Will mackenzie-Green, senior housemaster, and Johnny moesel, head of school, sherborne boys (22 February 2026)
If we are serious about fulfilling our educational duty and reversing the decline we are witnessing in generation Alpha, we must stop the search for yet another piece of software. Character is not downloaded, outsourced, or automated. It is forged in a positive, risk-taking culture.
