Thinking Inside the Box!

The prevailing narrative about island education is too often one of deficit. We speak of “isolated” schools, “disadvantaged” students, and the “brain drain” that carries young talent away to mainland hubs. But throughout 2025, I did a bit of flipping this script, or at least I attempted to! Whether as a panellist on the Virtual Island Summit session “Flipping the Narrative on island Education”, or delivering the keynote at the “Unlocking Key Potential” webinar jointly run by the Institute for Northern Studies UHI and the University of Malta, my message has been consistent: the “box” of island life—its unique geography, history, and resource parameters—is not a constraint, but could be a crucible for pedagogical innovation.

To truly thrive, islands need an education system appropriate to their context. Simply applying a one-size-fits-all, mainland-centric model is, in my humble opinion, a form of colonial education that fails to address the needs and aspirations of islanders. Instead, why not try looking “inside the box” to foster vibrant, self-confident populations with a powerful sense of identity?

In the keynote, I posed the question: Does geography matter? As someone living in Shetland, I see firsthand that it does. Shetland stands apart from mainland Scotland due to a combination of geological, cultural, and historical factors. We lie far to the north of mainland Scotland, equidistant between Aberdeen, Bergen in Norway, and Torshavn in the Faroe Islands.

This proximity to Scandinavia has deeply shaped the islands’ trajectory. For nearly 600 years, Shetland was an integral part of the Norwegian kingdom. Iconic Scottish figures like William Wallace or Robert the Bruce never held sway here. However, how many people realise that Robert’s sister Isabel was Queen of Norway and thus Queen of Shetland? Shetland’s linguistic heritage is also unique; the dialect, or language if you prefer, has strong Norn (Old Norse) influences, distinct from Lowland Scots spoken on the mainland. Shetland’s cultural heritage remains a unique blend of Scandinavian and Scottish elements. The education system needs to reflect such island distinctiveness, otherwise it’s colonial and fails the needs of islanders.

However, when we teach “inside the box,” we redefine what educational “success” looks like. Success is about more than standardized metrics or educating children to leave the islands. It is about providing a transformational impact on communities. We must educate young islanders to thrive whether they choose careers on or off the island. Addressing “brain drain” requires education to respond by showing that a successful career, like those that seem to be coming to the SaxaVord Spaceport, can happen right here. I believe that bolstering a student’s sense of belonging through local culture and heritage encourages those who go away for education to eventually return to their island homes.

Don’t misunderstand me, there is good island-specific education going on in Shetland. School curricula do reflect Shetland’s history and culture where possible, and the UHI has also been involved in working with pupils on island focussed activities. The islands’ unique history and geography has been used to engage students in globally relevant research. At Baltasound Junior High School, the “Nordic Connections” project allowed pupils to collaborate with peers in Norway to explore anxieties surrounding climate change and nuclear disasters through creative arts and digital media. Another significant initiative, the “Home and Belonging” project, empowered care-experienced young people to transform their sense of home through arts-based work, including the creation of a Minecraft version of Lerwick and the film “The Salt Made Marks”. Heritage-based learning is further supported by the Shetland Museum and Archives, which implemented the “Johnnie Notions Project” to teach over 800 children across 17 schools about a forgotten local STEM hero who pioneered smallpox inoculation. Additionally, the museum offers diverse school programs focusing on local themes like Crofting and Vikings, while the Shetland Library provides schools with materials that celebrate the unique Shetland dialect and maritime history.

The “Inside the Box” philosophy is more than a response to geographical isolation; it is a rejection of the mainland-centric educational models that have long functioned as a form of colonial education for island communities. By prioritizing island-based learning, we move away from an era of “deficit narratives” and toward one of local empowerment, where the specific history, language, and maritime economy of an island like Shetland are treated as primary assets rather than footnotes or local colour.

True educational equity for islands can only be achieved by integrating local research directly into the curriculum, thereby transforming students into active, informed citizens who are uniquely equipped to solve the challenges of their own environments. When we anchor education in the local context—whether through excavating Viking heritage or preparing for the future of space exploration—we do more than teach; we cultivate a resilient sense of identity and belonging that ensures our communities do not just survive but lead the way in global innovation. We should focus on encouraging, empowering, and engaging our local island communities to co-create a future that is authentically theirs.

And the question remains…hands up who knew Isabel Bruce was Queen of Norway and Shetland?

Here is the link to the Virtual Island Summit 2025 session “Teaching Inside the Box: Flipping the Narrative on island Education”