The Future of India

Children are the future of India. Every responsible student must take an active role in their learning to be able to make choices and take actions which lead them toward their educational goals. As a society it is important to expose all students to the world of work, particularly work of the future.

Theoretical knowledge makes students understand any concept of any theory but practical knowledge helps them acquire the specific techniques that become the tools of the trade in future. The latest Mitchell Institute report, connecting the worlds of learning and work, reported that it is important for our education sector to collaborate with industry and the community to make the future of India better. This will prepare children and young people for future work and life in a better way. Another fact is that only society and educational institutions will not be able to achieve this alone but our government need to play a leading role to ensure this happens. If students will be exposed to the world of work, it will not only provide opportunities to the students to build connections with professionals outside their usual family networks but also will help them to learn by practically doing it in real world context. Students picked by design thinking, coding and interview skills with this school-industry partnership. Spending time in theoretical knowledge may not help them to connect with the real world of work. Different opportunities to engage with the world of work, through career talks, mentoring, and excursions to job sites can be valuable from primary school through to secondary school. Early exposure is critical to ensure that students can make informed decisions about future career pathways. This is not something new but we all already know and understand the need of this but all we need to do is address some systemic barriers to enable partnerships with industry to develop in all schools. Partnerships would take time and resources for schools to initiate and manage. Many blockers like child safety requirements, occupational health and safety, and procurement policies for new equipment that are different in each state and territory make it difficult for schools and industry partners. To achieve this, government need to understand the in and out of partnerships effectiveness and support teachers and schools with all required time and resources. Also, they need to address structural and information barriers to make it happen. It is important to understand the technology, digital and transferable skills, like collaboration, problem solving and communication that young people will need in their future careers in addition to core skills like literacy and numeracy.

By: Anuja Arora

Content: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/07/why-school-kids-need-more-exposure-to-the-world-of-work