Page 8 - Education Supplement February 2026

EDITORIAL

Teaching children how

to think is a life skill,

not an academic extra

uch of the conversation around education still As Loryn Dilley explains, “When children are taught
centres on outcomes. Marks, assessments, how to think, rather than what to think, they develop
Mprogression, and curriculum coverage skills that support them far beyond the classroom.
dominate how success is measured. These things Good thinking underpins learning, relationships, and
matter, but they are not the point. The skills that shape wellbeing. It becomes something they carry with them
a child’s ability to cope with life often sit quietly in the into everyday life.”
background, even though they are the ones children
fall back on when things don’t go to plan. One of the most persistent misunderstandings is that
critical thinking encourages negativity or argument.
Critical and creative thinking are often positioned as In practice, well-taught critical thinking is calm and
enrichment. Useful, but optional. In reality, they sit at balanced. It teaches children to look at more than one
the core of meaningful education. These are the skills side of a situation, to separate facts from opinions,
children rely on when navigating friendships, managing and to understand that disagreement does not have
conflict, making decisions, adapting to change, and to mean conflict. Just as importantly, it helps children
solving real problems. Without them, knowledge learn that changing their minds when new information
remains fragile and easily overwhelmed by pressure. emerges is a sign of growth.

Critical thinking teaches children how to slow down
and look more carefully. It helps them question
information, recognise assumptions, weigh up
different factors, and consider consequences before
reacting. Creative thinking builds flexibility. It allows
children to explore alternatives, rethink an approach,
and stay engaged when the first answer does not
work. Together, these skills support independence,
resilience, and confidence in situations that cannot be
memorised or rehearsed.

This is the thinking behind Cub Club, a structured
thinking and learning programme for primary school
learners that embeds critical and creative thinking
into everyday classroom learning. Rather than treating
thinking skills as an add-on, Cub Club focuses on
teaching children how to approach problems, learn,
and make decisions as part of daily school life. In
practice, this means children are taught to pause
before responding, to consider more than one factor, to
explore alternatives, and to reflect on outcomes, habits
that begin to show up not only in their schoolwork, but
in how they handle challenges more generally.

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