PROGRAMME PHILOSOPHIES: Koura Concept

To best describe this concept, we use the analogy of a Koura (crayfish) and how it grows.  As we know crayfish are invertebrates, so therefore in their case they have soft body tissue on the inside and a hard shell on the outside.  A crayfishes growth is limited by its hard outer shell, so for it to grow it must first rid it self of this shell, then grow a new one.  How it does this is that it pumps sea water in between its soft body tissue and its hard shell effectively separating the old shell from its body completely.  The crayfishes outer soft tissue eventually hardens to form a new shell over a few days.  Note that until the new shell is hardened, the crayfish is very vulnerable.

The idea is to put students into controlled and safe situations that provide opportunities for personal growth.  It is this opportunity that is hoped, will cause positive internal growth within the student, will motivate the student to shed their old negative attitudes and behaviours and towards replacing those with new positive attitudes and behaviours, thus fulfilling the main aim of the programme.