Rethinking Education for a Changing World: Trends and Considerations
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In our ongoing exploration of educational trends, we’ve highlighted two crucial shifts on the horizon. Our first discussed the growing role of Sustainable Development Goals in education. The second spotlighted the urgent need for schools to adapt to a rapidly evolving landscape. In this piece, we delve into our third trend: the necessary evolution of teaching and learning approaches.
Reflecting on Unprecedented Times
The past months have ushered in unprecedented challenges, including the disruptive impact of COVID-19 on education. This unique pause has prompted a deep reflection on curriculum structures, particularly within South Africa.
Reimagining Curriculum's Role
The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), while comprehensive, is under scrutiny for its content-heavy nature and emphasis on assessment. Given recent challenges, it’s time to reconsider the role and influence of the curriculum.
Empowering Educators: Focusing on Core Mission
Educators are the backbone of our education system, yet often overwhelmed by administrative tasks. It’s vital to channel their efforts towards what truly matters: creating valuable learning experiences. COVID-19 has revealed their pivotal role in society.
Engaging Learners: Bridging Relevance Gap
Students today grapple with work-related stress and a perceived lack of relevance in their studies. Globally, they demand change, from environmental action to decolonized education. In the wake of the pandemic, their stress levels have risen along with the call for adaptable learning experiences.
Seizing the Opportunity for Transformation
Education systems were ripe for change even before the pandemic hit. This crisis presents a unique opening to reimagine and reprioritize education. It’s a chance to overhaul school facilities, better support educators in resource-limited settings, and make learning universally applicable.
Navigating Challenges Towards Innovation
The path ahead won’t be easy for educators, curriculum advisors, parents, and students. The answers may not be readily available, but they demand innovation and resilience in the face of adversity. Although solutions might be distant, taking steps to rethink curriculum now could yield profound benefits in the long run.
Building for the Future
These times are unpredictable, yet they offer a chance to create lasting change. By embracing innovation, revamping curriculum approaches, and providing relevant learning experiences, we pave the way for the next generation’s success.
As we embark on this journey, let’s remember that education’s ultimate purpose is to sustain the generations of tomorrow. In the face of challenges, it’s our duty to equip them with the tools they need to thrive in an ever-changing world.
We partner with schools to help them start their sustainability journey, assisting them to incorporate ecologically responsible resource management and circular economy principles and practices affordably. We offer holistic resource management services that focus on driving behaviour change through infrastructure, training and education and ongoing support. For more information please contact: thomas@planttheseed.co.za.
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Education requires an evolution
Our last two blog posts have looked at two identified trends in education which we feel are knocking on the door more than ever. The first trend we identified was the expanding role that the Sustainable Development Goals are going to play in schools in the future. And the second trend, looked at the fact that schools are going to need to adapt faster than ever to the changing landscapes of our economy and the world of work.
Our third trend explores the adaptions required in the way we teach and learn. Our pedagogy and educational approach is always required to adapt over time, both in methodology and in content.
The past few months have been unprecedented in so many ways. Never before has our education community been grounded to a complete halt like it has in 2020 as a result of COVID-19. This forced hiatus from the classrooms, to-do lists, sports fields and staff rooms have left a large amount of time for reflection.
A large component of my own personal reflection was directed at deeply rethinking the curriculum structure and make-up here in South Africa and how it is realised in many different ways across the nation.
The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) is the national curriculum for South African schools. In short, it is a vast curriculum which has been critiqued heavily as being too content-heavy, with large emphasis on assessment as a medium for performance.
Without taking anything away from the design and curation of the CAPS curriculum, but in light of the recent challenges facing us all, I feel that we need to rethink the role and influence that curriculum plays on both the educator and the learner.
First, educators. They are the driving force of our schools and institutions and have long been regarded as one of the most valuable members of society. Without teachers, there really would be no future. Sadly, our society doesn’t value teachers as much as they should and the past few months have been powerful in revealing the valuable members of our society – those who maintain the backbone and posture of our communities. One then has to beg the question of why our teachers are constantly inundated with large task-lists, admin and extra work that may very well deter them from their core focus and aim – creating valuable learning experiences for their learners.
Second, the learners. As a relatively recent graduate of school and in my short time in schools as an educator and coach, I have noticed a large amount of work-related stress and pressure on learners. To further that and perhaps more worryingly, I have noticed a deep apathy toward the content taught and the relevancy it has to a teenager growing up currently.
Globally, students are calling for environmental, social and economic change – millions of students are taking to the street demanding change from the top.
Within educational institutions around the world, students are calling for the decolonisation of the primary, secondary and tertiary education systems. And to focus back in South Africa, in light of the recent pandemic and the vast national changes that have ensued, students are facing higher demands and as a consequence, higher stress levels and associated difficulties.
The thing is, our education systems were calling for drastic changes before COVID-19.
It is all good and well for me to identify what is wrong with our systems without paying any attention to solutions and alternatives. And in writing this, I don’t exactly know what all the solutions are at this current time. But I do feel that an opportunity has been thrown our way in the form of a global pandemic, for us to re-imagine and re-prioritise our education.
I feel that we have been given an opportunity to rewrite the daily lives of both learner and educator; to revamp school buildings and facilities which have long been calling for it; to better support and equip educators in lower-resourced schools; and to make learning relevant and applicable to all students.
The upcoming times are going to be tough and unpredictable for educators, curriculum-advisors; department employees; parents and learners.
All the answers we are searching for may not just be lying around the corner. They are far off and will require us to be innovative and resilient in light of many challenges.
But, taking the necessary steps now in rethinking our curriculum may pay off in the long term. After all, we should always be focused on creating the type of education to sustain the generations of tomorrow.