Post-COVID education should be focussed on creativity not catch-up writes Paul van Veggel, CEO of Greenpower Education Trust.
These are certainly the most unprecedented of times. The world as we knew it has been completely changed. In education, the unthinkable happened. GCSEs, AS- and A2-Level exams were cancelled; schools closed their doors in March to most of their students.
As our post-COVID future begins to become clearer, it is critical we make the right decisions about how we educate young people. When schools return in September, in whatever form that might be, there will be a temptation to ‘catch-up’ on a perceived amount of lost time. It is imperative we resist the urge to double down on learning from the textbook and coaching students on how to pass exams.
If we take a moment to step back and look at the situation in which we find ourselves, we can see that STEM solutions are playing a vital role in our return to normality, and our prevention and treatment of the coronavirus. We have seen practical and creative ideas come to the fore to tackle a situation unlike any other we have seen in our lifetime.
In the UK, STEM roles are expected to double in the next ten years, yet the shortfall in skillset is costing businesses £1.5bn a year in recruitment (STEM Learning, 2019). In 2019, the shortfall was estimated to be 173,000 workers. We must embrace this opportunity to ensure we are preparing the next generation of workforce and give them the tools they need to solve the future problems we have not yet encountered.
This is why practical initiatives should be a vital component of the education syllabus moving forward. Greenpower Education Trust aims to ignite an interest in STEM studies in young people aged between 9 and 25-years-old by setting them a unique, hands-on challenge: to design, build and race a single seater electric car.
It is not just about building the fastest car. Efficiency of the car is key for travelling the greatest distance, therefore an understanding of aerodynamics and the importance of materials in building the car is needed. Participants learn commercial and business skills, as teams set out to find sponsors for their car and convince businesses to support them. Teamwork with peers, communication – and compromise – are just few of the many soft skills that our challenge fosters.
The value of these skills cannot be underestimated. Equally, they cannot be learned solely from the contents of a textbook. Education in a post-COVID-19 world must place practical learning at its heart. We have seen industries forced to pivot to new ways of working as a direct consequence of the pandemic, and to embrace a new way of doing things.
When schools return to a semblance of the way they were before, we should not rush into knee-jerk reactions and bury our students under mountains of work. Instead, we should re-imagine education to be fit for purpose.
If we neglect supporting young people now, then we will severely impact their chances in later life and lengthen the country’s recovery from the economic downturn caused by COVID-19.
What a wonderful idea, to give students hands on, practicable experience. I remember entering the Shell mileage marathon ( a competition to make a vehicle travel as far as possible on a small quantity of fuel ) No longer held in Australia, but still held in the UK. We also have the Australian International pedal prix, which is a competition using man powered pedal systems, check out their website. The World solar power competition held in Australia, from Darwin to Adelaide, this competition attracts teams from all over the world, check out their website. At last the educators have started to appreciate the hands on, practical experience that not only making the vehicle, but all the other experiences involved, raising funds, dealing with the press, attracting sponsors, promoting yourself and your team, and so on. Congratulation keep up the good work.
I absolutely agree with this article and can confirm its recommendations are gaining increasing support among us educators. In fact I would go further in advocating turning the whole educational framework on its head. First and foremost we must inspire all the students in something – anything – and then work down from that inspiration by getting the student to ask at increasingly detailed levels ‘so how does that work’. Traditionally education has started from the more difficult (and boring) bits (which can now often be done by remote learning anyway) and worked its way up to the interesting applications and systems. To inspire my students at any level and in any subject I present to them the UN Sustainability Development Goals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGcrYkHwE80 and then make their learning personal to them by asking them to suggest ideas that would improve their environments or workplaces. This really triggers most of them to come up with their own ideas or concepts which they are keen to research and develop – and it’s great for developing Green aspirations and life-long learning too.