Where are we? Change is the one constant facing education today. Whether it is to the curriculum, administration, funding, or technology all present undeniable challenges. The pandemic caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been like no other time in education history. It has challenged our view of education. It has disrupted and created a new “normal� within education and has afforded us the opportunity to rethink what education could and should look like. The demanding nature and complexity of the teacher’s role has become more transparent over this period as well as the inequity of access to hardware, software and internet connection which has served to widen existing inequalities. The pandemic has stress tested the system of education and only the most agile have thrived. In turbulent times, now more than ever before, the voice of those who can influence and reshape our education system for this century is needed. It is not simply teachers nor educational leaders who should shoulder this responsibility, we all have a part to play. A considered approach is needed which is collaborative not reactionary, where policy is done with teachers not to them. We need a shared view of what education should look like in this decade. If we can do this as educators, policymakers, business leaders and as a community, then we
can change the goals of our education system and how they are achieved. Education is built into the DNA of nation building and this has led to an intense level of scrutiny and critical discussion. The world has changed, and that change is accelerating. This new era provides an opportunity to change the landscape of education, ending the current industrial model grounded as it is in language, logic and recall. We have the opportunity to create a system which equips learners with the necessary skills, knowledge and habits of mind to thrive in what is becoming an increasingly unknowable future. Leading critics of the current educational system complain that it no longer provides the workforce skills, knowledge and habits of mind needed to thrive in work and life. Some have sought to move away from the traditional view of bricks and mortar schooling and timetabled classes which focus on a manufacturing line approach, to one which recognises the complex nature of learners and this reinvention is gaining traction. If we want a more flexible learning environment that prepares our children for an unknowable future, we are talking about a deep culture change. We need to explore the fundamental
shifts required when moving from the industrial model of education to a post-industrial model, recognising the kind of change we need to lead. In the complex undercurrents of the 21st Century, learners are increasingly at sea navigating the world and their role in it. Much remains to be done to ensure that students are equipped with the skills, knowledge and habits of mind needed to thrive in society and in the workplace. There are critical challenges in all countries of the world irrespective of the levels of development. Increasingly the gap between the years that students are spending in school and the years of learning equivalence, is impacting their prospects. There is an urgent need to transform education and training, to harness inherent opportunities for economic prosperity, societal progress, and individuals to thrive. Literacies associated with the industrial model of education are not addresing the current global challenges. Students need opportunities for deeper learning which harness the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in work and life.
We need a learning revolution Why the learning revolution? The world is changing profoundly and the education system is playing catch up. Key drivers of change include:
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