Today’s kindergartners are the class of 2030, and by the time they enter the workforce, it will look vastly different. Occupations will need expertise, creativity, grit, and, most importantly, people who can learn and cultivate new skills.
But if we’re going to ensure the class of 2030 succeeds, our current education system needs an overhaul and a refreshed focus, according to a new report from Microsoft. The report, which is based on surveys of 2,000 students and 2,000 teachers, was conducted with McKinsey & Company.
Read more: How SEL inspired a transformation in my school
The report outlines a number of factors contributing to the need to overhaul the education system. It urges policymakers and educators to ensure the nation is preparing the class of 2030–and each class after that–for the future in a very different way than in the past:
- Unprecedented opportunities for collaboration
- The progressive automation of lower-skilled jobs
- Employers’ demands for workers with more well-rounded skills
- Students’ desire and expectation to operate with autonomy and choice
How to help the class of 2030 adapt for a different future
The report examines what teachers and school leaders can do to ensure the class of 2030 will thrive. It finds a need for a heightened focus on learners and more student-centric learning. The changes are interrelated, because one change enables improvements in another area, leading to additional benefits in yet another area.
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