On a global scale, our education systems are outdated. School as we know it was developed in the Industrial Age to build an army of factory workers to support the burgeoning manufacturing era. Critical and creative thinking was not encouraged, but rote memorisation, blind obedience, uniformity and adhering to strict routines (timed and announced by clanging bells) formed the foundation of these institutes of learning. If you look at mainstream schools worldwide now, you’ll notice how little has changed, even though kids now grow up in an increasingly fast-paced, digital era. The system these schools are built on cannot prepare young people today for the world of work they will inhabit upon graduating.
As educators, parents, guardians and professionals working with children, we need a new plan. Sir Ken Robinson was an author, educator, speaker, and professor emeritus at Warwick University in the UK, where he taught as a professor of arts education for 12 years. In his famous TED talk in 20006, Do Schools Kill Creativity? (Robinson, 2006), Robinson made the case for an education system that nurtures learners’ creativity and embraces different types of intelligence.
In 2010, he followed this up with Bring on the Learning Revolution!, where he argues for a shift from a linear education model that relies on conformity to one that embodies a more organic process and is more child-centred. Robinson described it as a move away from an industrial to an agricultural model: Creating ideal conditions under which children can thrive, instead of expecting them to conform to a rigid, one-size-fits-all model.
The industrial-age classroom is outdated. Image from the Austrian National Library, public domain.
Robinson advocated for personalising education. Shaping the learning environment and curriculum around the child, instead of expecting all children, regardless of ability or how their brains work, to fit the educational mould. He said, “Human communities depend upon a diversity of talent, not a singular conception of ability” (Robinsons, 2010). This resonates with new understandings of brain-based differences, which highlight that neurodiversity is necessary for innovation, out-of-the-box thinking and problem-solving.
Remarking on the standardisation of education systems, Robinson stated, “We have sold ourselves into a fast-food model of education and it’s impoverishing our spirit and our energies as much as fast food is depleting our bodies” (Robinson, 2010). Other educators have commented on the need to revolutionise our approach to education, too.
Students need to learn emotional regulation and connection. Image by Egor Gordeev, public domain.
Olympia Della Flora was the principal of one of the lowest-performing schools in Ohio. In her 2019 TED Talk, Creative Ways to Get Kids to Thrive in School, she explains that for kids to thrive, they need to learn to manage their emotions, not just to read and write (Della Flora, 2019). She urges educators to develop “what’s in the box,” instead of investing time, resources and energy looking outside the box for solutions.
Della Flora encourages teachers to look at where learners are struggling the most, bringing humour into the classroom and being proactive about potential problems, instead of merely reacting to them. She talks about incorporating structured physical activity, flexible seating (like wobble cushions) and even paying attention to the wall colours! Public schools, like other government institutions, often go for drab, dreary paint colours that look like they were bought on special offer. These small adjustments helped to create more positive classroom experiences for the learners in her school, along with teaching them to identify and cope with their emotions.
“Connectedness has the power to counterbalance adversity.” Image by Dallas Penner, public domain.
According to Della Flora, investing in children’s emotional intelligence raised math and language scores at her school. Teachers planned shorter, more focused lessons with built-in movement breaks, which helps learners to retain new information better. They moved from what she refers to as a “philosophy of exclusion” to a learning paradigm built on trust, mutual respect and inclusion (Della Flora, 2019). As educational wellness specialists, we know that children learn better when they feel safe, accepted and included.
Connectedness and inclusion, feeling like you belong, is the antidote to anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. In my practice, teaching learners emotional regulation is the first thing I do, before we look at any of the other soft skills that support and promote learning. Dr Bruce Perry famously wrote, “Connectedness has the power to counterbalance adversity” (Perry & Winfrey, 2021). Creating more truly inclusive learning environments is the first step to revolutionising education.
The digital age requires a revolution in education. Image by Andres Urena, public domain.
There are many other aspects to consider, like preparing learners for the world of work they will enter upon graduation. Currently, our education systems are lagging. Instead of simply trying to add in subjects more geared towards the current and future digital landscape and employment arena, schools need to rethink the foundations upon which formal tuition is built.
Starting with teaching emotional regulation, practising inclusion and tolerance and keeping learning flexible creates more emotionally attuned and empathic learners. To achieve that, we need to reassess how educators are trained and what we expect of them. They have an incredibly important and delicate job, holding the dreams and futures of the next generations in their hands.
“I have spread my dreams under your feet, Tread softly, for you tread on my dreams” W.B. Yeats (1865 –1939)
