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Provost & Chief Executive O cer of Heriot-Watt University Malaysia Professor Mushtak Al-Atabi commented, “The impact of the fourth industrial revolution on employment will depend on the direction in which education moves.” He posits that we use a combination of three types of labour, i.e. Physical, Cognitive and Emotional, in our undertakings and urges us to consider the importance of emotional labour, in particular. “No machine can match human capability here. I believe that in order to develop graduates who are able to tame technology, rather than be enslaved by it, education in this century needs to focus on cultivating emotional capabilities. Transforming Mindsets As parents, we need to seek – demand, even! – education for our children that is not stuck in the 20th century. Each child is unique and, as such, should not be subjected to a one-size- ts- all education. Award-wining writer Yong Zhao broaches this in his book Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon?, pointing the nger at standardised testing and rote learning as a factor in stunting students’ talents in other areas. “Students with broader interests are discouraged, not rewarded. The system results in a population with similar skills in a narrow spectrum of talents.But especially in today’s society, innovation and creativity are needed in many areas, some as yet undiscovered.” We need to broaden our horizons and cast a wider net in order to help our children thrive as global citizens in an increasingly borderless world. At its simplest form, this international environment can be generated through exchange programmes and partnerships, excursions and even online networking. Today’s students are digital natives who are arguably more at home on social media platforms than in real life. But we should realise that digital education is not merely about schools having free Wi-Fi or arming students with iPads. More importantly, it is about using technology purposefully and strategically to ensure that they are taught relevant technological skills and knowledge that will truly bene t them. Teachers, too, need to embrace their ever-evolving roles.In the 21st century,they play more of a facilitating role rather than being a mere dispenser of information.After all, with so much information so readily available, the latter will not be a viable option in the long term. Instead, teachers can empower their students’ learning by giving them the tools needed so that they can succeed. Are we able to do the right thing and revolutionise education as we know it for our children’s future? The good news is that the wheels have already begun turning. Parents are becoming more proactive in seeking alternatives for their children when it comes to education. Schools have been ramping up their curricula, concocting new alphabet-soup o erings, such as STEM, STEAM and STREAM, in a bid to equip our younger generations with the right skills that will enable them to evolve with ease and embrace whatever changes that come their way. H. G. Wells once declared that “Civilization is in a race between education and catastrophe.”Will we be able to ensure the triumph of education? By continuing along – and perhaps more importantly, exponentially increasing the speed of – this trajectory of awareness and strategic action, I believe so.