Contemporary international trends impacting NZ education

Why does population growth in India impact on my classroom? 

The world is changing at a greater rate than ever before in history, and this change is primarily caused by us - humans.  We are demanding greater use of resource to meet the needs of a burgeoning global population, and a far larger middle class created by better access to health and education.  

This short animation provides a insight into the staggering rate of change we are facing:

 'Global trends: The world is changing faster than at any time in human history.'

Pearson (April 2013)

So what are the implications for NZ, and my classroom?   How does the population explosion in middle class India have any influence on what I am doing in my school in Auckland?

Why should we be aware of these trends in global change?

As we see advancements in technology and the growth of (tax deductible) philanthropy among the wealthiest individuals and companies, improvements are made possible that allow greater access to healthcare and affordable medication, provision of clean water and food, support for small businesses in developing nations, affordable housing, access to education for all.   These changes mean that globally we have a very different future that the one we anticipated 20 years ago.

                                              

We need to understand the implications of this as the children we teach will be entering an adult world that is global, demanding, more educated and very competitive.  They need to understand the importance of transferable skills and competencies that will allow them to function in a range of environments.  They will need to be able to go where the work takes them, understanding the different cultural and religious contexts they face, being comfortable working with a diverse group of colleagues as companies look globally for talent.   We need to have a workforce that is adaptable, able to collaborate with others, problem solve and think creatively.  Simply having an encyclopedic knowledge of facts will not be a useful or necessary skill - facts are easily found and theories are rapidly changing making facts a temporary truth. 

                                    

 So what does this mean for my school and our classrooms?  

I believe it means that we need to think harder about the how not the what of what we teach.

It means we need to pay much greater attention to the front end of our curriculum - the Key Competencies, Values and Principles. We also need to give greater time and energy to social action inquiry that allows students to consider their own challenges in the world and start to design ways of solving the 'wicked' problems their generation faces.

A recent publication by NZCER - 'Key Competencies for the future' asks us to consider what value we place on the Key Competencies; what value do they add to the learning process, how are we using them in our schools, are they embedded or taught explicitly, how are they communicated to students and whanau?  (These questions are important and I am currently working my way through the book with colleagues as a review of curriculum in  our school.)  It is important for our students to be able to relate to and work cooperatively with a diverse workforce. The KCs provide a framework for schools to develop the capabilities that will allow them to do this.

'Wicked problems' and collaborative student inquiry also builds capabilities and expectations that students have valid ideas and solutions for the problems that face them in their world.  It confirms for them that they have a voice and that they can contribute positively to their community and society in ways that will benefit not just themselves but others.  it grows social conscience, empathy and responsibility for the outcomes of the whole not just the individual.  These attributes are going to be very important as they face some of the most challenging issues related to population growth and limited resources.  

There is a multitude of research and opinion about the change in job roles due to the increase on technology, artificial intelligence and such like.  Many of the jobs that have been staples of the blue collar workforce will be replaced or minimised by technology, and now we are seeing this trend apply to many of the white collar professions also through the advancement of software making the collection, analysis and reporting of data and information achievable with just a few clicks of a mouse eg Xero.

What can we do to provide a workforce advantage for our students as they enter a market with more people worldwide competing for possibly fewer and definitely more specialised jobs.?

We need to teach them how to think creatively, how to work collaboratively and respectfully with others, how to maintain an open mind to possibilities and when to follow and when to lead.  We need to give greater emphasis to the Key Competencies on our curriculum as these capabilities are the key to being outstanding in a a sea of applicants. 

BUT more importantly, these skills will bring us the philosophers, the scientists, the researchers and the thinkers that will solve the wicked problems threatening our world.                                                         

References:

Ministry of Education ( 2007 )  New Zealand Curriculum Learning Media

Hipkins, R, Bolstead,R, Boyd, S, McDowell S (2104) Key Competencies for the Future.  NZCER

Pearson. (2013, April 26). Global trends: The world is changing faster than at any time in human history.[video file].Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdZiTQy3g1g