Cultivating the Future: A New Perspective on Education

Education is all about the future. It’s about preparing a new generation, not by shaping them, but by nurturing them. What we need is fertile ground and a conducive climate for growth.

Children are like seeds; you can't see their stems, roots, or leaves yet because they are still in seed form. No matter how remarkable a seed is, it doesn’t display all its components initially. Only when the plant grows and develops do the stem, leaves, flowers, and fruits become visible. Sometimes, we expect to see a seed as a complete plant with all its components, but that's impossible. A seed needs time to become a fully grown plant; it requires a nurturing process.

Thus, when measuring children's success, don’t judge them now—they are still seeds. Assess them later when they have fully developed. Don’t be too satisfied with today’s evaluations.

A good seed also needs fertile soil: at home, at school, in the community.

In biology class, we learned about plants' responses to sunlight: one placed near light and the other farther away. Their growth directions were different, right? The same seed, same soil, same pot, but different growth directions depending on the stimuli.

Similarly, consider a family with four children, each having their own bathroom. In another family with the same number of children, there is only one bathroom outside their rooms. The development and growth of children in these families will differ. The first family’s children might grow more individualistic compared to the second family’s children, who must share and collaborate more.

When thinking about schools and education, think about the future. The success or failure of a community is not about ability but about how well we anticipate change. This is the homework.

There are three fundamental components to focus on:

1. Character/Morals: Moral character (faith, honesty, humility) and performance character (diligence, hard work, resilience, perseverance).
2. Competence: Critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration.
3. Literacy: Reading, cultural awareness, technology, financial literacy.

In the current times, exams require children to answer questions on paper. In the future, exams might just be blank sheets with no questions at all.

Postmen are competing with technology like WhatsApp and email. Professions today might not exist tomorrow. Therefore, ask children what they want to create in the future, not what they want to be.

Education administrators should not be captivated by past stories but should be anxious about the future. Victory is prepared in the living room and the classroom.