Page 114 - EW November 2024

Teacher-2-Teacher

Critical importance of

the humanities

HIMMAT DHILLON

ERY OFTEN ONE COMES ACROSS INDUSTRY Infusion of humanities into all subjects
leaders bemoaning that students who have done
reasonably well at school and gone onto university is of critical importance. Study of
Vand completed degree programmes, don’t have humanities develops questioning minds,
the skills required to succeed in the workplace. There is a
gap between what is taught in schools and colleges and what resourcefulness, curiosity, self-reliance,
is required in 21st century jobs. metacognition, and reflection
Undeniably there is substance in this lament. Especially
in India where schools, colleges and universities operate in
self-contained environments with little connect with each excites their imagination. This is followed by activities used
other. Therefore, as students transition from one stage of to create teachable moments and to present living lessons
the education continuum to the next, a lot of time and effort that learners can reflect upon.
is wasted in adjusting to new environments. This disconnect In short, experiential learning requires shifting the
has become more pronounced after the Covid-19 pandemic. paradigm by mindfully moving from theory to practice,
Learning loss at each stage and the impact of remedial abstract to concrete, intangible to tangible and teacher-
education is yet to be assessed in the new era of digital centric to student-centric pedagogies.
revolution and online learning. Have education institutions What features of the experiential learning model not only
aligned their curricula with the job market’s requirements? enable students to succeed in contemporary workplaces, but
Even as you read this, the world of work is evolving and also prepare them to negotiate changes of the 21st century?
disruptive technologies and Artificial Intelligence are The answer is rigorous competencies-based curriculums
complicating the jobs/employment scenario. Instead of that teach skills that will endure even as the world changes
preparing students for traditional jobs and careers with in the blink of an eye. Among them:
predictable and linear advancement, the onus on teachers • Lifelong learning. In the emerging world where
is to teach critical thinking and analytical skills that will change is the only constant, degrees, qualifications and
enable students to excel in jobs of the future, many of which certifications are not enough. Academic qualifications need
don’t exist today. to be supplemented by skillsets and competencies that are
Therefore, a critical duty of 21st century teachers is to regularly upskilled and updated.
provide good quality education to prepare students for • Problem solving. The world of work will always need
life after school and college, thereby laying the foundation problem solvers. The future belongs to individuals equipped
to seamlessly integrate them into the new world of work. with a wide range of skillsets including life skills such as
In essence, this entails that the purpose of education is communication, negotiation and consensus building, to
redefined as not merely to enable students to develop solve difficult problems.
competencies in passing examinations, but to prepare • Collaboration. The future world of work will require
them for life itself. In a nutshell, it boils down to equipping teams and groups working together on projects, often oper-
students with the knowledge and skills that ready them ating out of disparate geographies and different domains.
for the needs of an AI-driven global economy and prevent In conclusion, it is more important for teachers to nurture
them from becoming redundant in the ever evolving VUCA values and develop intangible skills such as continuous
(volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world. learning, empathy, problem solving and collaboration
To attain this objective it is essential that we start at the than new advanced technologies. Clearly, there is need to
very beginning. Right from the pre-primary stage, there’s a acquire tech capability, but children must be taught to view
compelling need to adopt active experiential learning that the world through a lens that is inclusive, pluralistic and
makes use of the school’s entire ecosystem as a teaching above all, humane. The importance of the human element
resource. This requires that in addition to textbooks, is most critical and can be best achieved through education
digital resources, formal curricula and other traditional enriched with learning of the humanities.
learning material, a school’s entire campus is transformed The infusion of humanities into all subjects is of
into a learning lab or ecosystem. For instance, a solar critical importance. Study of the humanities develops
power generation facility on the school campus provides questioning minds, resourcefulness, curiosity, self-reliance,
opportunity for teachers to teach students a wide range metacognition, and reflection in addition to high adversity
of subjects — science, technology, biology, geography and quotient and resilience that will be invaluable assets in
history. Ditto if a school has forest or garden topography. the dawning AI age. The humanities foster values and
The takeaways can be made all the more relevant by emotional intelligence essential for holistic development
being anchored in a context, as well as experience that not only of individuals, but of humanity as well.
learners can relate to. The teacher is a facilitator who
creates anticipation in learners and ignites curiosity and (Himmat Singh Dhillon is Headmaster of The Lawrence School, Sanawar)

114 EDUCATIONWORLD NOVEMBER 2024