Go back to as late as December 2019. No one at that point in time expected their lives to be hit by a global pandemic like Covid-19. But today lives across the world are filled with uncertainty due to COVID. This is what we should expect in the years to come – surprises and uncertainty. Or in other words, you never really know what to expect.
So, with schools reopening tomorrow, how well are our kids coping with this scenario?
We try to teach kids everything that they will need to survive in this world and have fulfilling lives. Parents, teachers and educational institutions put in dedicated efforts towards achieving this goal. Children are taught and equipped with the necessary skills. That has been the conventional practice. But can we teach them everything?
No, at least not anymore. The COVID pandemic has only made that evident. For all the devastation that it has caused, COVID should also be seen as an eye-opener. It tells us a lot about the world today’s kids are going to inherit.
What should we do?
Such a scenario points to the need to revamp our systems. For the kids of today, the ones who are going to inherit our planet in the next 10-20 years, this means that they have to be prepared to face the unexpected. We need to ingrain resilience in our kids. How can this be achieved?
Is this the time for a relook on education?
Education should always be dynamic in nature, evolving according to the challenges and requirements of the time. With Home Based Learning (HBL) taking over as the new norm and replacing classroom-based learning for a short period of time, many parents are anxious about their children who are appearing for the PSLE, O levels, etc this year.
But the real challenges that lay before kids in the post-COVID world are much more significant.
We need to start talking about reinventing our education systems. We need to craft an education system that imparts a whole new set of dynamic skills for students. With the new measures that Covid-19 has brought about, we should shift the focus of education away from content, to a skills-based programme. What should these skills be? The famous author Yuval Noah Harari enlightens us in this regard. He identifies the 4Cs of critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity as the skills which will be indispensable in the future.
Our educational systems need to be revamped to provide students with such enriching life skills that are demanded by the present as well as the future.
Reimagining jobs
The Pulitzer winning columnist Thomas Friedman aptly said, “our kids will have to invent a job”. The nature of jobs is changing dramatically. The job market is also a space of great uncertainty. Covid-19 has only worsened the situation. People will have to keep updating their knowledge and bring in creativity. Job opportunities are going to reduce in the near future as the world battles an economic crisis brought forth by the pandemic. Our kids will need a whole new set of skills as new technologies such as AI and Data Analytics seem set to take over the world. They will need greater skills to improvise and innovate while dealing with unexpected challenges as well as expected ones such as climate change. They may also have to be prepared to be unemployed for a while and switch between jobs.
The Emotional Toll
The road ahead is filled with hurdles. It will take a tremendous amount of emotional capital to tide over them. School education should lay added emphasis on enhancing the emotional strength of students. They will be put under stress levels far greater than what today’s adults experience. It is time schools and homes focus on making their kids emotionally steady, not just preparing them in terms of their head knowledge, but also, maintaining and building up their ‘heart’ consciousness as well
Yes, the path ahead for our kids is scary. But the human race through history has created wonders and surpassed hurdles. As a famous quote has said, “Congratulations, you have survived 100% of all your struggles.” Life has always been a struggle and we have always won. During this pandemic season, let us not give up hope, and carry on with our fighting spirit. Let us instill in our young ones how to confront and overcome such expected occurrences in our lives. For now, let us focus on giving them the best skills that might work to their advantage in the future.
To all students who are returning to school this week, wishing you the very best for Term 3 – We are all in this together, let’s do this! 🙂
Exam Smart Tips
Exam Smart Tip #1 – How to Encourage Our Kids to Speak Better?
Exam Smart Tip #2 – How to avoid carelessness?
Exam Smart Tip #3 – Establishing Routines!
Exam Smart Tip #4 – Let’s Read Carefully!
Exam Smart Tip #5 – Beating the Exam Fever!
Exam Smart Tip #6 – How to Eat Right for the Exams?
Exam Smart Tip #7 – How to Avoid a Meltdown?
Exam Smart Tip #8 – Taking Stress out of Tests
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