OML #011 We Need A NEW Education System For Humanity

Hello beautiful people! 😇

(and welcome, my +2 new friends to Ohh My Life!)

I have some good news to share with everyone! After a long soul-searching work, I've decided to focus my energy on the future of learning and work (I'll share more about the WHYs behind it next week.)

So, I will share a lot more of my journey as a creator / builder / entrepreneur in the future of learning and work.

To be frank, I have a love-hate relationship with the current education system.

I aced, flunked, gamed, and am now out of the system.

Aced -> aced all my primary & secondary school big examinations (got a scholarship for university)

Flunked -> overconfident, played too much, screwed up in my A-levels (missed my first choice)

Gamed -> found the balance to win the exam game in university and still had lots of fun (partying, started an NGO, did a small business, etc)

Out -> lots of learning, unlearning, relearning to stay relevant with the real world

But, why can't our curriculum be relevant (at least, almost) to the real world?

Here are the issues I observed, breaking down into two parts:

• what knowledge should we receive

• how should we receive the knowledge.

1. Outdated information and no one bothers to update them

Do you still remember Pythagoras' Theorem? (click the link to learn more, only if you are interested hahaha)

How likely we will use it in our daily life? Shouldn't we learn how to do taxes, and financial planning in our math class?

Thankfully, the almightly internet is changing how we consume information.

Everyone can learn from anyone, with the internet and an open mind. Coursera and Khan Academy are the pioneers in this revolution.

And, this creates another issue - how do we know one really learnt something? One can earn lots of online certificates, yet be unable to perform the tasks in the real world.

There's lots of work to be done in the education-to-work space. It is beyond just helping people to get jobs that they rarely enjoy doing.

2. Too much noise (misinformation, resources) on the Internet

Knowledge is everywhere on the Internet. But, how do we ensure a piece of information is accurate and helpful, especially since we have limited time to consume them?

There is a need to consolidate useful information on the Internet. Imagine, you can go to a website and get verified, useful resources to learn X, Y, and Z based on your interest, learning style, etc.

Learning Loop is trying to do so.

3. Majority of parents don't realize soft skills are more important than hard skills in today's changing world

Most parents, especially in developing countries, grew up honing ONE EXPERTISE to put food on their table. For instance, machine repairing, paddy planting, etc.

Hence, they don't realize the importance of soft skills in today's world. Even worse, they "advise" their kids, out of a good intention, to follow in their footsteps.

Hence, their kids struggle to get jobs because they lack the required soft skills (i.e. problem-solving, teamwork, effective communication, etc).

To solve this issue, we need to figure out a way to make parents put significant attention to soft skills, not just the optional after-school classes anymore.

Doyobi is striving on this end.

Happy to hear everyone's thoughts on this.

And, that’s all for today. ❤

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💖 MY FAVOURITE THINGS

📽️ How to escape education's death valley by Sir Ken Robinson

🎧 Education Disruption, Angel Investing & Spirit of Learning by John Tan on BRAVE Podcast

💭 QUESTION OF THE WEEK

How would you envision the future of learning and work?

👉 Share your thoughts with me by replying to this email.

👉 Any suggestions? Email me or DM me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

That’s all for this week. Stay awesome and see you next week!

To A Fulfilling Life,

Nelson @ Ohh My Life