21st Century Education: Preparing Learners For Better Tomorrow

The world is evolving rapidly, and it is imperative for us to realise that we are preparing our children for the unknown, unseen and unpredictable. Therefore, 21st-century education needs to be directed towards students learning how to deal with unpredictability and change. The idea of education in the 21st century should not be just  learning from the prescribed syllabus, but opening the mind to multiple possibilities, imbibing life skills and preparing them for a better future. 

"The world doesn't really care what you know; what matters is what you can do with what you know," - Tony Wagner of Harvard University.

According to the United Information System for Education (U-DISE), over 260 million students are enrolled across 1.5 million schools in India. According to the India Skills Report 2021, only 45.9 per cent of graduates are employable, a decrease from 46 percent in 2016. More than half of technology graduates lack tech skills. According to the Manpower Group Employment Outlook survey 2022, a lot of employers in India find it hard to find certain soft skills in candidates: creativity and originality, critical thinking and analysis, reasoning and problem-solving, leadership and social influence skills and initiative-taking skills. 21st-century education needs to address this gap.

21st century education: the goal

Experts across the globe have identified new 3Rs for 21st century - Reasoning, Resilience and Responsibility, which are key problem-solving skills that, when learned, can benefit student achievement and general life success strategies. 

The goal of 21st century education is to instil learning that is sustainable through cultivating skills such as innovation, critical thinking, computational thinking, collaborative learning and problem solving. In order to prepare our students for a better future and not only for a job, but we must also aim to connect the learning to the real world and make it more contextual. Educators should adopt an integrated approach to learning where the focus should be on concepts rather than subjects. The learning should be more aligned to the application of knowledge rather than an assessment of retention. This will not only improve the educational performance of students but also broaden their vision and enhance their socio-economic wellbeing in the future. 

Teaching methodology

The teaching methodology should focus on improving learners’ thinking skills and analytical skills that help in developing their future. Activity-Based Learning, Experiential learning, Project-Based Learning, Teaching for Understanding, Design Thinking are some of the practices that can be used to nurture learners for the future needs of society and industry. These methods will help enhance the learning curve and create an environment that facilitates life-long learning, engages the student's natural curiosity, and boosts retention. Annual examinations should be replaced with learning and developmental milestones and qualitative assessments of students using comprehensive evaluation tools. 

Technology: the game changer

Today, the market is dynamic, and it necessitates educators to be more tech-savvy and for classrooms to use more technology. Digital and cloud computing mechanisms should become important aspects of the new pedagogy. The 'extensive use of technology in teaching and learning, removing language barriers, increasing access, as well as education planning and management' is also emphasised in National Education Policy 2020.

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire,” said William Butler Yeats. In the digital 21st century, teachers cannot expect to be the omniscient source of knowledge or experience. They should act as mentors, and their role should be to inspire and guide their students as learners. 21st-century education must focus on preparing students not only for employment in a sustainable economy but also with the skills and values that will allow them to live sustainable lifestyles on this planet.

Prof Rajesh Khanna

Guest Author The author is President, NIIT University (NU)