Opinion
Evolution of Learning Environments – How Educationists would build Indian School of Future Part 5
Read on for amazing insights into the vision of building the school of the future…
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We were keen to feature views of School Leaders and Educators on 'The Evolution of Learning Environments: Building the Indian School of the Future'. The excitement was palpable. Educationists across the country were preparing to gather at the ScooNews EdBrainstorm with Professor Sugata Mitra on April 2 in Mumbai. In preparation for this exercise to discuss the building the Indian School of the Future, ScooNews invited key delegates at the EdBrainstorm to share their vision on the Evolution of Learning Environments. The result was a smorgasbord of ideas and beliefs, a melange of thoughts and concepts, lively agreements and livelier arguments!
The complete story featured in our April 2018 issue, we are reproducing this online as a series of articles to make it comfortable and easier for our online readers, read the 5th episode for some more amazing insights into the vision of building the school of the future…
Empowering children to unlock that universe effectively
If we look at school curriculums in India – the content, delivery mechanism and methodology of learning hasn’t changed in decades. Yet undeniably, the world is changing fast. Our schools, meant to prepare children for “life”, can barely cope with the speed of change and has been the same for decades.
Our educational institutions need to stop and analyse: what are they preparing our children for?
While it is hard to know what the world will look like in 20 years, we must at least attempt to understand the skills that future generations will need to navigate the new world.
Reports like the 2017 World Economic Forum’s ‘Human Growth Capital Report‘ clearly outline the kinds of skills that companies would potentially be looking for in 20 years. The report credits countries like Norway and Sweden for the way they have adapted their education systems for this future. And, the results are already bearing fruit in these economies.
In our interactions, we often hear successful parents tell us that their grades in school and what they studied have had little or no bearing on the people they have become, and the jobs they hold today.
So, what made them the successes they are? Our first level of introspection leads us to believe that it is the values that were instilled in them by their parents and the teachers they loved. That it was the skills like communication, negotiation, working together in groups, socialization, understanding, identifying and dealing with emotions that were learnt through their childhood. And, we see that our most productive employees are often the ones that show all these skills and values in their daily work.
The subject matter of a job is easy to grasp – but skills and values cannot be taught later in life. There is a whole new set of skills that need to be added to meet the needs of the current world we live in. Good digital habits, for one, is a topic rarely addressed. We’re quick to label ‘screen time’ bad and rarely highlight how technology is good, how technology has enabled us to live better lives and connected the world we live in.
Shouldn’t we instead be teaching children self-regulation when it comes to the use of technology or effective ways to research or manage time using technology? What about teaching them to code and create simple solutions, or even use technology to make music, recreate, history and understand math– the possibilities are endless.
Jobs of the future will need less process skill and more cognitive and intellectual skills. Machines and artificial intelligence will play a greater role in industry and hence the skills that differentiate us as humans with emotional and cognitive intelligence will ultimately be the ones that help us win. That’s what our schools, our curriculum, and our learning methodologies need to start reflecting and teaching.
The ways and means with which we can each impact and change education in our country are countless and as owners of education institutions, the power to do it is in our hands. Change always starts small. We know that education is the key to the universe and we must empower our children to be able to unlock that universe effectively, powerfully and in the most humane way possible.
About the author:
Helen Issar is the co-founder, Papagoya (India's first Scandinavian Kindergarten).
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