“Our education system is a mess; it is failing us, our children, our future” – a catchphrase I hear at conferences, during dinner and casual conversations.
This refrain takes me back to my school years. I remember sitting in class, listening passively followed by hours of rote learning and note taking. There was no room for creativity, collaboration or critical thinking. I refrained from asking ‘silly questions’. And the thought of the stress of exams and grades continues to give me knots in my stomach.
Our education system wasn’t much of a problem until now. The system addressed the 19th century industrial revolution needs for labour that could perform simple and repetitive tasks. But that era is long over. Our children must gear up for the ‘gig economy’. By the time today’s graduates are 38, they would have gone through 10 to maybe 14 jobs. Moreover, 15 years from now, 65% of graduates will be going into jobs that don’t yet exist.
