Fewer than half of students worldwide, including those in India, feel prepared for their next stage of education, and only 45 per cent believe they are ready for life after school, according to a new global survey.
The report, ‘Preparing Learners to Thrive in a Changing World: The View from International Education’, was conducted by Cambridge University Press & Assessment and is set to be released on Tuesday. It draws on responses from 3,021 teachers and 3,840 students across 150 countries, with a weighted sample of South Asian participants, as per a report.
Subject knowledge vs real-world skills
Subject knowledge, once considered the key to success, now appears more like a short-term requirement. Both teachers and students still rate it as essential for clearing exams, but place greater importance on leadership, management, and business skills for life after school.
Rod Smith, Cambridge's head of international education, noted a shift in parental priorities, “South Asian parents, who once focused on which university their child could enter, now ask whether schooling will prepare you with the kind of skills that are going to make you successful in a future world.”
Teachers were generally more optimistic than students, with two-thirds saying their students are ready for the next step. However, many also highlighted that self-management and leadership are key skills students must develop.
Self-management: a difficult skill?
The report highlights that self-management is both hard to teach and hard to learn. One in four teachers said it was the hardest skill to teach. In fact, 19 per cent of students found it the hardest to learn.
On the other hand, technology was identified as both an enabler and a challenge. Two-thirds of students worry about distractions from devices, while 88 per cent of teachers say attention spans are shrinking. As many as 60 per cent of teachers cite decreased social skills as a major downside of technology.
Interpersonal skills were another area of concern. Teachers pointed to fear of judgement and social anxiety as major barriers, and students emphasised the importance of communication skills.
Balancing knowledge and skills
Experts in the report stress that subject knowledge remains essential. Without a strong foundation, they warn, AI can mislead rather than empower.
Cambridge said it plans to support schools in balancing rigorous subject learning with opportunities to practise self-management, leadership, and communication skills, reported The Times of India.
