> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://guide.fariaedu.com/transitions-a-whole-school-approach/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://guide.fariaedu.com/transitions-a-whole-school-approach/why-does-positive-transitions-care-matter.md).
# Why does Positive Transitions-care Matter?
Schools are in the business of **learning**. It’s only right that schools devote their energy to practices which get positive results for them. Learning Outcomes are regarded as most or moderately important in the majority of international schools (6).
Annual Financial Expenditure Priorities in International Schools (Mahoney & Barron, 2020)
Research by Mahoney & Barron (2020), however, indicates that transitions-care ranks low in contrast to learning outcomes. There is a contradiction here. Effective transitions-care leads to better learning outcomes. Positive transitions-care should be a much higher priority, because:
1. **Unmanaged mobility inhibits learning.** Research (see below) has been circulating since the mid-1990s about the importance of addressing mobility in international schooling.
2. International schools are transient places where student, parent and faculty goodbyes are commonplace. **Ignoring the grief and loss of goodbyes can result in unresolved grief** down the track. In fact, SPAN’s Governing Board Member and author of Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, Dr Ruth van Reken maintains that unresolved grief is one of the biggest challenges facing TCKs, including in the Age of Corona when so many were unable to say good goodbyes in the way they had hoped. Additionally, children imitate adults so staff and parents need to be equipped to value and role model healthy emotional wellbeing, which includes how to work through grief and loss.
3. **Knowledge is power.** There is a big difference between unmanaged and managed mobility. When young people are equipped with the language of transitions and understand what to expect from transitions, they are more likely to thrive and adjust better to new surroundings.
4. Navigating transition is **a life skill**. Whether it's a new job, marriage, birth of a child, divorce, retirement, death of a loved one or a global pandemic, there is no avoiding transitions. By equipping and supporting our students, parents and staff to navigate one transition, however, moving forward they will be better able to actively engage in the process of transition in all contexts of their lives. Schools have a responsibility to do that.
(6) Barron, J. & Mahoney, E. (2020): Surveying the Landscape: Common Practices, Challenges and Opportunities in International School Transitions-Care:
---
# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.
## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:
```
GET https://guide.fariaedu.com/transitions-a-whole-school-approach/why-does-positive-transitions-care-matter.md?ask=&goal=
```
`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
