Dr Renu Gupta
The principal goal of education is to create individuals who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done. Education is all about being a better human and a better citizen.The present world order is changing at a high pace and in uncertainty. To navigate such uncertainty, students will need to develop curiosity, imagination, resilience and self-regulation. Schools have to prepare them for jobs that have not yet been created . It is a shared responsibility to seize opportunities and find solutions. It is our utmost duty to help our children to connect to the changing world, provide them with the necessary skills, and prepare them for future challenges and successful life.
Franklin D. Roosevelt once said , ” We cannot build the future for our youth – but we can build our youth for the future ” .
Generation’Z’ is the name given to the current generation , who are born between 1997 to 2012 and are between 9 to 24 years old. It is the second generation after generation’X’ continuing the alphabetical sequence from generation’Y’. The generation typology can be explained in Five general trends broadly referring to: (1) The traditionalists, born between 1928 and 1944, who values authority and a top-down management approach; (2) The baby boomer generation,born between 1945 and 1965 who tend to be workaholics; (3) Generation X, born between 1965 and 1979, a generation who is comfortable with authority and view the work-life balance as important, (4) Generation Y, born between 1980 and 1995 and who generally grew up in prosperity and are technology savvy and (5) Generation Z, born after 1995, who is still to come into the workforce, but tend to be digital natives, fast decision makers, and highly connected .
Each generation has a span of 15 years . The generation of children born between 2010 and 2024 is known as Generation Alpha . It is the current generation following generation Z and are under 12 years of age .Alpha Generation children are born at a time when technological devices are getting smarter and physical and digital are coming together. Generation Beta will be from 2025 to 2039 and Generation Gamma from 2040 to 2054.
Generation Z are structurally different than those of earlier generations, not as a result of genetics, but as a result of the external environment . They are different from older generations because they are the first consumers to have grown up wholly in the digital era. They are more pragmatic and financially minded, having witnessed their parents struggles . They have the vast amount of information at their disposal and are more analytical about their decisions than the previous generations were.
With a population of nearly 472 million, Gen Z in India is the largest in the world. Because they are different we need to handle them differently. The nature of work these days is also going through a huge change because of a generational shift, employees expectations and revolution in digital technologies. We have to create a perfect balance to bring out the best of the Gen X, Y and Z. The generation Z who is just entering the workplace are very excited about technological advancements like virtual reality.No doubt digital transformation has brought both challenges and opportunities.But we have to understand that there is a drastic change in the environment that they are growing up in , today. They are growing up in a time so revolutionised by technology that their aspirations are very different from their parents and grandparents.
In a recent survey conducted among this generation, three notable aspirations came out strongly :
a/ relevant and meaningful education to equip them for jobs of the future
b/ early growth in their career and
c/ wishing their dreams to be fulfilled within 10 years of their career .
As these children have grown up with technology, the internet and social media, we should also know what is happening on the internet every minute. The relevant statistics is as below:
Currently there are around 5 billion users on the internet and the number is growing every second, there are approximately 5.7 million searches made on Google, 41.6 million messages are sent on Facebook messages and Whatsapp, up to 100 hours of new videos are uploaded on Youtube, 575 K tweets are sent, 231 million emails are sent, 20.8 K are active users on Linkedin and list is endless. That’s the Internet in 60 seconds for us. In short, the internet landscape is everchanging and it might be difficult to keep up with everything that happens on the internet in real-time.
No doubt the use of technology to explore the world of knowledge through the Internet has hugely enhanced the skill of self-learning, but I think more than knowing the present generation needs application literacy. We need to develop skills and traits needed in future along with the lifelong learning, cultural proficiency and to teach them to be mindful and become better humans .
Education 4.0 is developed as a response in order to create trained, qualified professionals who are ready for a globalized and digital-driven world of work.It emphasises the need to prepare students to take on challenges. In Education 4.0 the learner will always be at the centre of the educational ecosystem . Creativity and innovation is its foundation . Only trained and skilled people will be able to control the innovation. Employability skills need to be developed . Employability skills are different from employability eligibility. They are to be skilled for the right jobs. Education 4.0 will ensure that what is being learnt will meet the future needs of the workforce and skills with the combination of the power of technology and specialised skilling .
Rightly said by Futurist Alvin Toffler that “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn , unlearn and relearn”. It will be crucial for the children to learn their multiplier skills, their meta-skills and enhance the skills they possess which can be transferred to innovations that haven’t even yet been conceived.
Children should always be encouraged to have one question with them that is : How to meet or foresee our future? Be sure you put your feet in the right place and stand firm. What matters most is how you see yourself. For this to happen everyone has to closely work together and make this transition smoothly. During this process, we all including teachers, parents, schools, educationists, the community and even the Government have to ensure that the children get to learn what they are good at and become healthy and collaborative citizens.
The author is Principal (Retd) APS Damana
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