The educational landscape across the World, over the centuries has transformed, advanced, and evolved significantly to meet the needs of the everchanging society. Whether it was 1920s Progressive Education Movement focussing on developing students’ Problem Solving Skills and Creativity or 1990s Emergence of Educational Technology, furthermore 2010s Personalised Learning and growth of Online Education, there have been a series of innovations that have shaped the way we teach and learn.
From the earliest formal school established in Egypt’s Middle Kingdom under the direction of Kheti, treasurer to Metuhotep II (2061-2010 BC) to modern day Ivy Leagues. From simple Gurukuls to huge buildings and campuses housing hundreds if not thousands of students. From education tailored to individual needs and societal structures to a uniform learning experience. From creating well rounded citizens in Greece, spiritual education in India, vocational and specific trades’ skill development in Egypt to more structured, standardised, inclusive education focused on literacy, numeracy, and science. From copying the shapes of letters with a stylus on a waxed wooden tablet to the digital tablets and electric stylus. From being teacher centred to learner centred. From being limited to teaching typically royal, wealthy, and elite children to being Universal, compulsory, and free, education today has come a long way.
Technology is improving at whirlwind pace and humans are responding rapidly. Globalisation, technological advancements and changing demographics are some of the key driving forces of our current times, and they will continue to shape our future. To prepare our students to face these challenges and seize new and exciting opportunities and thrive in this fast-changing world, educators have identified a suite of core values and competencies that are increasingly important, out of which the 21st century competencies or 4 Cs – Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Collaboration.
The shift in skill demand has exposed a problem in skill supply. To uncover the skills that meet the needs of a 21st-century marketplace, World Economic Forum in its report, ‘New Vision for Education- Unlocking the Potential for Technology’ conducted a meta-analysis of research about 21st-century skills in primary and secondary education. An in-depth analysis of performance indicators across 91 countries has found stark differences for different skill types not only across income clusters, as defined by the World Bank, but also within the same income cluster and within countries. While the differences are most pronounced between developed and developing countries, they also found wide variations in performance among high-income countries. In addition, they found differences within countries in terms of performance on foundational literacies versus higher-order competencies and character qualities. Two main problems may be identified causing this widespread disparity, poverty, and marginalisation. Poverty is a crippling hindrance to education because many under developed or developing countries cannot grant the financial resources necessary to create schools, provide schooling materials or recruit and pay teachers’ wages (Right to Education, 2018). Moreover, any education students do receive may often be inadequate or of poor quality because of poorly trained, underpaid teachers and overcrowded classrooms. Furthermore, the marginalisation of students is very troubling, especially when it comes to gender inequality. According to UNESCO, an estimated 130 million girls between the ages of 6 and 17 are currently out of school.
Those from the poorest families are more likely to be out of the classroom than more affluent peers. This portrays a rather bleak picture. But, the other side of the coin gives a positive view as at no point in history have more children been enrolled in formal education. Thanks to global commitments and movements such as the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child, Art. 28 (1989), UN Millennium Development Goal 2 (2000), and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Education for All goals (UNESCO 1990, 2010). As per United Nations Economic and Social Council global enrolment in primary education continues to rise, reaching 89 per cent in the developing world in 2008. Online platforms, digital classrooms, and e-learning have made education accessible to everyone, regardless of geographical boundaries. Of course, technology is only one element in a list of vital solutions that aim to close the 21st-century skills gap. Other being strategies such as better teacher preparation, new modes of learning and wraparound services for struggling families.
Schools and Institutes must adopt learning collaborations and technological solutions to prepare students for the future. Future ready education means placing emphasis on developing the 4 Cs and attributes, replacing traditional teaching with an array of innovative pedagogical approaches that will give our students the tools needed to excel in life, and producing curious, engaged, resilient individuals capable of taking on the challenges of the 21st century and beyond.
Charles Darwin in his theory of Survival of the Fittest suggested that the organisms best adapted to the environment are more likely to survive, similarly in education, as we look ahead, we must continue embracing change and fostering an adaptable, inclusive, and forward thinking educational system. By doing so, we can ensure that future generations have the cognition, skills, and resources they need to navigate an ever-changing world.
Views expressed by, Anuprita Sharma, Principal, Vinayak Vidyapeeth, Meerut
