Education is being disrupted, and it’s about time
Our current education system was first introduced in the early 1900s during the Victorian era. I wrote about how the education system was formed to end child labor in the factories and to provide a more competent workforce in the future.
Since its inception, the system has seen few updates whilst society has taken a quantum leap forward. We are operating on outdated learning systems which originally prepared children for industrial jobs, thanks to technology, and a more connected world have become redundant, automated, and replaced.
Yet we enter our children into this compulsory and outdated conveyor belt that is churning out generations of anxious children who are undereducated, unprepared, unmotivated, and bored.
I am not against the traditional government school system by any means, in large part, some children do excel. What I am against however is rigid systems that do not keep pace with the growing demands of society and careers.
America seems to be leading the way, more so during the Covid pandemic. There is a mass exodus taking place in public schools and it’s not only pupils that are leaving teachers are jumping ship too.
Parents and teachers are creating their own alternative systems, a few examples that I have been seeing from the States are Pod-schools and micro-schooling. Many of these options are running on a private membership basis.
In New Hampshire, America they have introduced a “Learn everywhere” program that allows students to accrue high school graduation credits outside of their schools through community activities and extra-curricular’s. This has quickly led the state to gain a reputation of Educational freedom, in part, this is down to the New Hampshire education commissioner- check out this interview.
Closer to home, in my current home base of Torridon, Scotland. The local school in Sheildaig has gone through its disruption. The new headteacher overhauled many of the outdated systems that were holding the students back, implementing skills and knowledge that are befitting of the area in which it resides.
I have been on a mission to learn the best practices from the variety of education models popping up, the majority of which seem to be birthed out of frustration and a need. Created by teachers, parents, and educational entrepreneurs.
The Acton Academy is one example founded by someone experienced in all areas of education and also an entrepreneur. They aim to turn learning upside down. One of the founders, Matt Beaudreau is truly innovating the learning process.
What I have learned researching the alternative systems and models sprouting up over the past few years is they all seem to have several common threads.
Student-led- Learning
Alternative systems of learning, for example, Home-schooling and the poorly named unlearning model put the student in the driving seat, empowering them to build their passions and tailors the learning process to their needs, instead of moulding the student to fit a standardized system they mould the system to the requirements of the individual. Rocket science right?
Learn through play
A large emphasis is placed on learning through play/ practice, to illustrate this point I refer to Elon Musk’s school Astra Nova where students disassemble cars and rebuild them using tools and good old trial and error.
Schools in Sweden are known for focusing on play, opting to spend more time outside playing with tools and the environment, a far cry from the average student sitting at desks opposite a whiteboard.
This follows the natural learning path children go through to acquire new skills and they are more engaged and happier overall.
Cultivate individual passions
In traditional systems, students are moulded to focus on standardized curriculums that they are rarely empowered or interested in. Home education for example flips this upside down, choosing to cultivate the individual natural curiosity and then double down on their passions. For example, one student may have a passion for video games and wish to pursue this as a potential career so they build their learning process around what is needed.
They may attend courses, find mentors, sample different programs to build the skills needed. The key is to focus on building up the individual’s natural curiosity and interests, providing the necessary resources and guides to achieve their goals.
Community engagement
Involving children in community-based projects leads to a sense of responsibility, connection, and citizenship. Volunteering helps to build confidence, social skills and teaches core skills whilst surrounding young people with a variety of mentors.
Mixed-age groups
I personally never quite understood why we are placed into age groups at school, society does not run that way. When we enter the workplace we are surrounded by a wide age demographic, wouldn’t it make more sense to have smaller classrooms that are mixed so that students build up strong social and communication skills. Some models are introducing this, and testing this hypothesis.
Traditional, government-run institutions will continue to have their place and will start to see more innovation, and disruption to ensure they’re meeting the constantly evolving requirements of society.
There will just be more choices available to parents and students, with some governments creating digital wallets that house education credits that can be used to cover costs associated with the learning process these can be used for charter schools, home learning, micro-schools, and so on.
Meaning the proportion of tax that is for education effectively follows the student.
A step in the right direction, as currently alternative education programs and the resources required are paid out of pocket by families.
These models are no golden bullet, they’re a stepping stone to continuous improvement in our learning systems, an attitude of Always-Be- Learning and adapting should be at the forefront of any educational system, staying ahead of changes in society, technology and the needs of the workplace is paramount to the success of future generations.
we must strive to futureproof our children, by teaching them how to learn and to solve problems we give them tools to adapt to any situation and overcome any obstacles they may face.
We may not be able to prepare the future for our children, but we can at least prepare our children for the future.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
