There is no doubt that our education system needs reform. We are not adequately preparing our students for the real world or the world they will graduate high school into. We must understand that today's Pre-K students will graduate in 2034-2035. We can't define the jobs that await current students because those jobs are for a world destined to be totally different from today. However, simply reforming the education system will not be enough. Public education is crying out for a revolution to match the needs of today's society and fast-paced workforce. The current education system was designed during the Industrial Revolution to prepare workers for factory jobs.
Tech leaders are actively working to replace human workers with robots that are not subject to fatigue, are much less prone to making errors, work much more quickly and precisely, do not take breaks, do not present issues for HR departments, and will not need monetary readjustment in the event of employee injuries or accidents. For example, Elon Musk recently revealed that their Tesla Bot is part of the development of the next generation of automation, including general-purpose, humanoid robots capable of performing tasks that are dangerous, monotonous, or unpleasant for humans. Think about how many jobs fit that category.
Let's face it, we now live in a global economy, and our students must be prepared for that environment. Everyone, no matter the location, is connected. Devices remove language barriers in real-time. As a result, students need to be able to think critically, solve problems, and communicate effectively, regardless of the language barrier. The new approach to education must be one where students are given more opportunities to explore their interests and discover their passions and not force-fed those of someone else or policymakers.
We have to shift our perception of education from seeing it as something done TO students to viewing it as done WITH them as partners in their own learning. I think that students should be given the opportunity to lead their own education and that teachers should act as facilitators rather than simply dictating what topics to be taught.
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