The value of education in the 21st century

“‘The more complex the world becomes, the more creative we need to be to meet its challenges’, -Sir Ken Robinson.”

Photo by The Climate Reality Project on Unsplash

How many times have you heard someone say that education is crucial? The answer is, probably a hundredth times, but why is it so important, especially in the 21st century? We often hear from our parents, how challenging it was to do work or any research at all; they had to go to the library and read multiple books to do a task that now takes a couple of minutes. Although it required a lot of effort, they did it because there was no other possible option. However, today, most people find it hard to complete a simple task. We tend to procrastinate and don't devote the necessary time to work and efficiently achieve our goal.

The quality of our work isn't always going to be satisfactory; therefore, we must strive to get maximum results as, in times where there is so much competitiveness, mediocrity is the worst enemy. I believe one of the reasons for this lack of innovator mindset is due to the school system. It teaches us that marks are above original thinking. It's based on memorizing and not on learning on our own terms. You see, that method used to work a long time ago, but as evolution comes, we have to change our ways. This method makes it harder to succeed [whatever that might mean to you] in this new era. Regardless, success is measured with different rulers, and nowadays, "successful" people have different qualities from what success looked like in the past. They are usually high-achievers that opt-out of what is seemed as traditional; making use of acquired information instead of simply knowing things.

It's a fact that being cultured and going through school has endless advantages, but in this article, I'd like to beyond that. Education is a broad term, and it can be applied to all aspects. This generation has grown up with a level of technology that makes them have a tremendous amount of information at their fingertips. The students in schools today have a sense of freedom that can't be compared; they are extremely skilled with technology and comfortable with communication. This benefit is why we need things like ambition, courage, diligence, and divergent thinking to help us stand out. A 21st-century education helps by focusing on giving students the skills they need to succeed in this modern world and helping them get better and more efficient outcomes on their own. Overall, I think that the following four qualities could play a significant role in achieving that.

Collaboration. Leaders must cooperate to achieve more effective outcomes, find their voice, and maximize their strengths in a group where each person brings something to the table.

Communication. This skill is vital for sharing ideas and collaborating with others. It is important to learn how to verbalize our thoughts and act accordingly. Technology also plays a major role in this one since we are so internationally connected.

Critical Thinking. It's one of the fundamental elements considering people are often asked to look for the correct answer when, in the world of leadership, there is rarely one. We should be approaching the problem by exploring it on our terms and taking ownership of our journey.

Creativity. We are all creative in our way, but it is important to take it to a deeper level. We must think differently and show our ability to solve a problem by being original and innovative.

Compassion. There needs to be a constant sense of confidence without fearing failure. Make others feel they are supported, show moral courage when confronting challenging situations, and act with empathy and sensitivity.

Overall, leadership requires courage, trust, and acceptance that failure is an opportunity for growth. We get a better outcome when we discover the answers through our exploration and learn from the process. Evidently, education prepares us for life, helps us identify who we are and exposes us to several thoughts, views, and ideas, that will influence the way we perceive life.

I hope you enjoyed this article and found some things to incorporate into your life! Let me know in the comments what you thought and share some qualities that you think are important for success.