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Our future is dependent on an understanding of how to learn and to be able to implement the Learning Process successfully and with the learner having agency over that process. While there is some knowledge that is critical to remember; memorising large volumes of arcane facts and knowledge that we can find at will on our devices, when we need them, is no longer required, as we can now access knowledge Just-In-Time, rather than learn it off-by-heart Just-In-Case we may need it one day.
In the past, the state would mandate the content of the curriculum, but in a world, that is changing at an extraordinary rate, it is no longer possible to define exactly what knowledge and understandings any young person might require within their lifetime. The greatest gift we can offer anyone is the capacity to understand how to learn, whatever it is that they will need to learn, throughout their lives.
Being intrigued by the world and constantly seeking to understand it brings our curiosity to the fore, and it is our curiosity that drives us emotionally to want to understand, to want to learn and come to terms with our place in our world.
It is not about precisely defining what we need to learn that matters, but it is holding on to the wonderment and curiosity of our childhood throughout our lives, and forever seeing the world through fresh eyes every moment of the day, that matters. Our world is complex, but it also comes with an underlying simplicity. As we celebrate our capacity to love, while holding on to our fears, we embrace the possibilities, while setting limitations at both ends of the spectrum to avoid being hurt physically or emotionally. We must acknowledge these conflicts, while still wanting to both challenge and embrace them.