My 2039 utopia? > life-long ‘work’ AND life-long learning
I’ve had the opportunity to co-lead the ShapingEdu.asu.edu project’s ‘Connect Education and the Workforce of the Future’ neighbourhood recently. In our chats it’s only been natural that conversations have looked ahead — and the current neighbourhood challenge to brainstorm forward twenty years to 2039 has really got me thinking.
The ‘Utopian’ idea I have come up with for this challenge is this:
I want to see a future where there is no longer a gap between the ‘education phase’ and ‘work phase’ of life. Of course in reality there is natural overlap, but to roll out mass education as societies have done in the last 2–300 years, we have had to make it seem as binary as possible, a ‘this then that’. BUT just as in 2019 we widely acknowledge now how learning is a life long activity, hopefully by 2039 we will ‘get’ that ‘work’ is also life-long. If learning can continue on forever, why shouldn’t what is considered ‘work’ extend back to younger than just say age 16?
Now by ‘work’ I’m not referring to the stereotypical drudgery of a fixed job — but rather of the satisfying, beneficial activity we yearn to do to — pursuits and ventures that help us be fulfilled and improve our lives and those of the people around us. (This work may include being paid — either by bartering, new businesses, self-invented jobs, time banks etc — or perhaps by 2039 Universal Basic Income or other changes to the social order may have arrived. However for 6–16 year olds, the freedom of pursuing fulfilling work without the need for monetary payment me actually be a huge advantage for them and the societies who trust them to contribute?)
The utopia I suggest then is one where the real-world ideas, projects, input and ‘work’ which all kids are capable of are recognised and respected — and supported — such that from an early age there is no distinction of age between good ideas and ‘kid’ ideas. Naturally all the scaffolding and wisdom of learning theory needs to be there — but I challenge my fellow humans for 2039 to be as open to what students are capable of at any age (certainly from about age 6) as we are now in 2019 with the idea of older people still being able to learn. Are you up to this challenge?
