With the rise of automation, the future of work and education is uncertain. AI is advancing rapidly in the workplace and taking over many of the jobs that were once thought to be safe. These realities and possibilities have an effect on the education system too.
Has our education system kept pace with the change and adapted to 21st-century mindset?  Perhaps not! The 21st-century world functions markedly different than the one in which most of us grew up. Today’s generation Z expects instant gratification, quick fixes, and immediate solutions for their problems. Today’s mindset is about embracing change and adapting to new ways of thinking. It is about being able to think outside the box and not getting stuck in your old ways of thinking. It is about being able to adapt to the times while still maintaining your own individuality.
Adjusting to the new reality and values is a big challenge faced by most of the educators of today as the education system, unfortunately, is stuck in the conventional era of rote learning.  Teachers are still prioritising memory building over practical understanding and application. In short, it is more information and less application. In today’s times, children need more dynamic modes of education, and sticking to the rigid old methods doesn’t do justice to the evolving learning capacities of children.
The conventional methods aren’t enough to prepare children for the future. It’s important that children know ‘how to learn’ and not focus on ‘what to learn’. Simply put, conventional education just isn’t future-proof and does not suffice in this VUCA world. How can educators solve this issue? The need of the hour is to start cultivating a problem-solving thought process amongst children enabling them to tackle tomorrow’s problems logically and build solutions for the future. One of the more successful modern methodologies of teaching is Project-Based Learning. It introduces children to real-world problems and ensures holistic learning. Project-Based Learning equips children with the right tools to be able to take on and solve real-world problems.
Changing attitudes takes years if not decades. It is up to the educators to plant the seeds of change today. We are preparing our children for jobs in the future that don’t yet exist today. To be able to even comprehend these possibilities, there is a need for a radical change in today’s mindsets.
The system needs to be built in a way that promotes value-based education. Capitalism and consumerism are an integral part of today’s society and culture. However, blind ruthless capitalism is not sustainable for the growth of society. One of the ways to bring about a change in mindset in children is to teach them the virtues of conscious capitalism to ensure sustainable growth for the society and the planet at large.
Educators need to take the wheel today to steer society in the right direction. Hands-on education for children is the need of the hour, there is a need to equip children with the requisite skills to be able to adapt to the ever-changing environment in today’s world. It is a gradual process but, with the right support system, education will be able to change the mindset of the society and help humanity progress. Fortunately, a few educational institutions around the world are embracing this approach and have revolutionized the process of learning and teaching. Now is your turn.
