Learn, Don't Study: A guide for students and parents to succeed in the ever-changing landscape of the modern workplace by Pramath Raj Sinha hit bookshelves in March 2023 - just after the latest round of Class 12 board exams. This is fitting, given that one of the questions the book deals with is what to study, to future-proof your career.
Sinha is founder and chairperson of Harappa Education - which was acquired by upGrad in July 2022. In an email interview, he spoke about the skills one needs to learn to thrive at work, learning by doing, and trying many different things to give yourself a fighting chance.
Would you say trends in education are changing faster now than they were at the turn of the 21st century? Or is the pace of change irrelevant?
Much faster. It is very relevant. Particularly, because in India the pace of change is also complicated by our challenge of educating an unprecedented number of young people in a short period of time, never before attempted in human history.
Do you see AI featuring prominently in how and what we teach?
Yes, it will be an integral part of curriculum and pedagogy. Both integrated with it as a new opportunity to improve and also a big challenge.
What skills would you say children need to learn most today?
Foundational skills of language and numeracy, coupled with dealing with unforeseen, unpredictable and ambiguous problems. These are a combination of cognitive and behavioral skills - how to think, how to problem-solve, how to communicate, how to collaborate and how to continuously grow oneself.
Is there such a thing as a future-proof skill set today? What would you say is the best way to achieve it?
Yes, foundational skills as above are also future-proof skills. They enable you to take on unforeseen challenges and also make you capable of learning whatever skills you need whenever you need them. You can just not be prepared enough since we don’t know what is to come and what will be needed in the future. The best way to achieve it is to learn by doing. To accumulate lots of different experiences, try out many things, accumulate capabilities and skills by building on what you do well and constantly improving on what you don’t do well. Learn to do - traditional classroom learning - and do to learn, all your life, not just in the 16 years of school and college.
Will we see a move away from over-dependence on exams and rote learning to more creative ways of understanding and experimenting in our lifetime?
Yes, this is already happening but only a few privileged and elite students are able to experience this kind of learning. It is spreading but not fast enough.
What would you want readers to take away from your book?
I would like readers to be less anxious about the future, be more assured about their own unique career journeys and focus on uncovering and discovering answers though their lifetimes, rather than fretting about not being able to find or “know” their calling. In particular, I want students and parents to relax. The world is today full of opportunities and it is impossible to predict what will be best path to those opportunities. You just need to focus on learning what you enjoy and try your hand at as many things you can.
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