ABSTRACT
The aspiration of developing the ‘whole child’ – emotionally, socially, intellectually and spiritually – has a long history. In England it grew bolder with the publication 50 years ago of the Plowden Report and subsequently peaked in the 1970s alongside the drive towards comprehensive secondary education. The term ‘pastoral care’ was coined by Michael Marland in his 1974 book of the same name; Marland went on to pioneer its development and study. Drawing on this work, Pring defines it as ‘the conscious effort to help young people in one way or another to develop as persons’ but adds that it also plays a role in foreseeing and dealing with individual pupil issues. Nel Noddings first set out her theory in ‘Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral Education’. Having grown in popularity and scope, care ethics is considered a ‘distinct moral theory.
