What is the biggest challenge to education in your country?
The challenge that affects the education of each of our nearly 9 million schoolchildren in UK state and private schools is the development of their 21st Century Skills before they turn 18 years old.
Before the pandemic it was predicted that babies born in 2020 would retire on average at 83 years of age with a 64 year-long working life. And that the traditional 20th Century trajectory of a life divided into three clear stages of education, career and retirement will not be applicable to them as their skills will only be relevant for two and a half to three years. No profession is immune to automation and AI—technology was already replacing doctors and shop workers alike and the pandemic simply sped up this employment trend.
Therefore, it is critical that we prepare students for life-long learning driven by an individual sense of purpose. As Jaime Casap (formerly Google's Global Education Evangelist) advises, "Don't ask kids what they want to be when they grow up. Ask them what problem they want to solve and how they want to help solve it." Last year the UK was ranked 10th out of 35 nations in a league table that measures the quality of 21st Century Skills in education systems. Our biggest challenge will be upgrading our ranking throughout the next decade.
J. Jothi, MA, PCGE, Educator