“Shaping Education for the Fourth Industrial Revolution”, Manit Jain

How do you educate children for a future whose main characteristic is ambiguous change? How will new technologies impact what we need to learn, as well as how we do it?

Well, we have got you answers in this story ahead.

We were in talks with someone who has initiated a change in the technological environment and what we will focus on will be dependent on our current choices, directly or indirectly.

Manit Jain, Co-founder, the Heritage Schools shared his views on how he is initiating the Technological change in the curriculum. In conversation with educationbiz at the Indian Education Congress, he talked about the Fourth Industrial revolution that is taking charge in the Education sector in a rapid pace.

The fourth industrial revolution is said to be ushered in by advancements in robotics, virtual reality, cloud technology, big data, artificial intelligence, the internet of things and other technologies. It is characterised by the fusion of technologies and the blurring of the lines between the physical, digital and biological aspects of life. 

“Reforming education, redefining pedagogy and the curriculum to ensure that we rehumanise it and make it more meaningful, purposeful, joyful for the children and in that sense also begin to provide them the skills needed to navigate the relationship and careers in 21st century”, says the Director, The Heritage Schools.

He further added,” Machines are getting intelligent at a rapid pace. As we enter the Fourth Industrial revolution, we are to witness the coming together of the physical, biological and digital along with tremendous creation on one hand and just like any other revolution a lot of bunch will be losing jobs.”

“So, the skills that are going to be relevant, in fact, ironically the ones that will deal with us are more human”, said the Director.

Manit Jain echoed further,“ It will all depend on our ability to relate and create our social creative intelligence. The mannerism in which education is transacting ensures that we are making it more machine and human.”

Although there have been debates about whether current developments in technology are the late part of the third industrial revolution – the advent of information and communications technology or ICT – or constitute the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, it is increasingly clear that the rapid development of technology has changed everyone’s economic, social and cultural status quo. 

All this comes down to the question, “Is education failing to prepare young people for their working future?”

Well, let us leave this for the readers to think and work upon it.