The Factor of ‘E’

A School is quite like the human body, as good as its systems. The systems work when effective processes are in operation. Does that mean a school will get old and perish? A huge NO, to that. The worlds over certain schools have kept getting better year after year.

The knowledge and skills that an educated person will need to have 20 years from now will be markedly different from what school systems currently provide. In fact, we cannot wholly estimate what an educated person will look like a couple of decades hence.

Thus, school face the significant challenge of having to develop, what the students need to learn today and be prepared for tomorrow and the day after.

The Michael Barber* Model states:

Well Educated = E (K+T+L)

The ‘K’ stands for knowledge, ‘T’ for thinking, ‘L’ for leadership (leading both oneself and others), and ‘E’ for ethical underpinning. Is this the model that will last next few decades?

The factor of leadership has significance as it is the skill needed to convert original thought into action. Then there is the all-important E of ethics. How often have we seen the effects of bad E, in human history?
 Questionable ethical underpinnings of Queens and Kings, Head of states, political leaders, professionals of all hues and even school head boys have often devastated careers, even generations.

*Sir Michael Barber is chief education advisor to Pearson and a global expert on education reforms.

The Ace Child

The Ace Child 

Let us discuss an old folk story, the one about the hare and the tortoise.
1) We know that there was a race in which, slow but steady tortoise won the race while the over confident hare took a nap before the race was over.
2) Now that the hare had lost the race, he was quite ashamed to move around in the neighbourhood and was depressed. His parents got worried – naturally. They had a small discussion, there was to be another race and the clear advise was to first finish the race and then do any thing else, like taking a nap.
So there was another race and this time as you would guess, the hare won hands down. The moral of the story in this case is even more simple – Even when you are fast and talented to win a race you shall have to finish it…..and being slow and steady can win you a race, only some of the time.

3) Now it was the turn of the tortoise kid to get depressed. The kid had felt the warm glow that comes from being successful. It was better than any TV serial, candy or a toy. His parents were deeply concerned. 

The mummy tortoise came up with an idea – which to my mind was brilliant. “To win a race you must run another race, that much is for sure only this time the race track should be through the jungle river."
So there was this third race and the tortoise kid won once more. The hare was stuck at the river bank despite reaching there early.
Let us discuss this part of the story a little –
a) The parents (of the tortoise) understood that it was all about winning the race and not about running. In life situations too it is more important to be successful in a chosen vocation and it is not about scoring 100 marks in maths or for that matter in any other subject all the time.
b) One can not win , from a point of weakness. So in our story just running to win the race was seen as, not possible. Weaknesses generally can not be converted to strengths, not easily any way. By hard work and practice the tortoise could never hope to run faster than the hare - so when hard work will not work a change of strategy can work. 

This is the key to good parenting , to be able to tell your child when to work hard and when to work on something else.
c) To be good and successful you have to know your strengths and plan the race of life accordingly and run it till the finishline. Swimming was definitely a strength for the tortoise and so the race course was tailored.
The greatest positive influence  adults can have on  children is to:
i) help them in identifying their strength areas.
ii) Develop the strengths into core competencies.
iii) Encourage them to choose their vocation according to their core competencies.

 It is important that children understand strategy, and develop thought flexibility. Lateral thinking process is one great idea.

You must discourage superstition in your child always.
Thank you .