An unplanned academic session drift in the valley has created an uncertain atmosphere fro students. It might be impossible on part of the system to consider a reckoning and initiate a major course shift.
There are few universal norms for systems in operation, like considering early deliberations and preparedness for an overhaul shift. The recent decision doesn’t reflect any synergy between the government and stakeholders.
As the world is recovering hard from Covid-19, with some milestones to overcome, for people to rejuvenate the world. An academic shift, doesn’t go well with a long way effort to help people, especially to students who have been at the receiving end and have gone through psychological trauma. It has been relatively hard for the students in valley and their agony goes uncounted.
There has to be a soothing outreach to the students with different initiatives, to help them recover and improve their strengths. New year can began to equip students with 21 century skills.
It is fascinating to witness the world discovering new ways for daily operations, with the advancement in research, and technology leading our ways to life. While most of us comfort our lives with the advantages that these new inventions and shifts have bought, the world is going through a dramatic shift with AI (Artificial Intelligence) shadowing the world.
The Asian context of education, mainly the school systems, is outdated and might not fit into the future context. It’s unlikely that most of the existing jobs except will exist in the future. This means our schools need a curriculum that is future centric, and aids the employability among students.
As most of the schools have finished their syllabus, they were ready to hold their annual exams. Now this extended timeline should be utilized to discover the strengths of students. This is a good opportunity for the schools in valley to extend the education landscape by introducing the 21 century skills in the curriculum.
An exposure to these skills will potentially help the students to discover their potential and hone their skills. The Covid Pandemic has already introduced the digital platform as a vital tool in the education system, with nominal challenges.
This was a great revolution of our times, and can be used as an imperative in an effort to expose students to these skills. The schools need to find innovative ways, to attract students and maintain their interest level, this can begin incentivizing their early learning with different models and ways.
Schools in the valley should hold necessary deliberations about the pressing need to explore the opportunities for students to learn these skills, these winter vacations can be balanced between the academic curriculum and 21st-century skills which include 12 abilities that today’s students need to succeed in their careers and to be able to contribute for the larger good.
The 21st Century skills include, 1. Critical thinking 2. Creativity 3. Collaboration 4. Communication 5.Information literacy 6. Media literacy 7.Technology literacy 8. Flexibility 9. Leadership 10.Initiative 11. Productivity 12. Social skills.
The Government should facilitate the collaboration of schools with the Institutes and Organizations that are the domain for these skills in the world and country.
The professionals, scholars and college students should help to build an inkling for the 21st century skills they can help the local schools to facilitate this process by helping them to brainstorm and find ways to adapt this in their curriculum.
The School Education department can enter into a MOU with the organizations which have been doing significant work in the country and have setup ChangemakersLab across the country in schools and colleges.
They can help in the capacity building of the teachers and designing curricula for these essential skills. The youth and community leaders should help to sensitize the need of having 21st century skills in the schools and develop a community effort for the same.
I am sanguine if there are continues efforts to raise awareness about the same, this will lead to a systematic model of change and will create an ecosystem of creativity.
Suhail Mehraj is a Youth Advocate at UN
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.