The Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, once said “Change is the only constant in life.” This statement is as relevant now, if not more, than any other time in history. If the normal course of events were not setting an adequate pace of change, the recent pandemic acted as a catalyst and propelled us to a “New Normal” – with different approaches to living, working, learning, doing business – pretty much a radical transformation in every aspect of life. The pace and nature of change are exciting if one were to view it as a great opportunity to participate in the expanding economy and transformational technologies. The younger generation today, as well as the generations to come, have a lot to look forward to. Of course, this change will neither come easy, nor be all inclusive – if one is not prepared for uncertainty, they may not cope well.
A popular YouTube Video titled “Did you know, Shift Happens” also drives home the point well – “We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist…and technologies that haven’t been invented…in order to solve problems that we don’t even know are problems yet.”
That said, we need to genuinely reflect on this question – What are we preparing our students for? Is it for competitive exams for programs that may become obsolete in 5 years, or are we preparing them for something much larger and long-term?
Preparing for Life: Candor offers Top-Ranked programs – both IB and Cambridge Curricula delivered in an ecosystem that promotes inclusivity, cross-cultural sensitivity and a global perspective.
At Candor, we have always believed in our mission statement “Preparing for Life.” It is an approach that equips Candorians with the ability to learn new skills and operate in any uncertain environment by focusing on holistic development, and the 4 Cs – Communication, Critical Thinking, Collaboration and Creativity – the fundamental building blocks on which new skills can be acquired and uncertainty can be navigated. We have successfully delivered International Curricula for more than a decade at our Bangalore Campus, and have recently started the Tirupati Campus to impart CBSE curriculum – both with a strong commitment to prepare Candorians for Life. This has set us apart and earned us multiple awards and recognition as the Best International School in Bangalore.
With technological advances and ongoing automation, millions of workers globally have lost their jobs, and millions more are at risk of losing if they don’t upgrade their skills. The adoption of cloud computing, big data, encryption, non-humanoid robots and artificial intelligence have changed the face of many industries. There are multiple theories and projections on what some of the new, yet to be created jobs will look like. A LinkedIn thought leader recently shared that many of the jobs that today’s students will be doing in 2030 haven’t been invented yet. So, what will those jobs be? Perhaps related to AI, Internet of Things, Machine Learning, Robotics, Drones, Virtual/ Augmented Reality, Alternative Energy, climate change, autonomous cars, cryptocurrencies, blockchain, NFT, Metaverse, Web 3.0 – and the list goes on. Some intriguing jobs could be in the area of biomedical engineering – Organ creation using stem cells; Energy – biofilms for environmentally-friendly buildings; Engineering – 3D printed buildings; Digital Wealth Advisor; Drone traffic optimizer and much more!
While these jobs may not sound like they are mainstream occupations at this time, they will be in a few short years! Hence, the most relevant question today is – Are we preparing our students for life?