** A Dialogue Between Two Generations Reveals a Prolonged Crisis
Khaberni - "My sixteen-year-old son asked me how we studied in our time, so I told him that there was a teacher who stood in front of the class, lectured, and wrote on a chalkboard. My son then said to me: 'It seems that the education system has not changed for two centuries, except that the chalkboard has become an interactive board'."
This simple yet profound conversation between a father and his son encapsulates a major global crisis. It reveals a shocking truth that the educational model we use today is essentially a barely updated version of the model designed during the first Industrial Revolution.
The world around us has changed radically, from the atom to the galaxy, but the classroom and lecture hall are still captive to an outdated educational philosophy.
We live in the era of the fourth industrial revolution, the era of artificial intelligence and big data, yet we still prepare our children for the future with tools and ideas of the past.
The challenge we face today is not just about developing or improving, but it is a vital necessity to undergo a fundamental and comprehensive transformation. We no longer need to "recycle" education, but to "reproduce" it entirely.
This series of articles is an open invitation to rethink every component of the educational process, from inputs to outputs, with the aim of building an educational system worthy of the 21st-century human, focusing on the global context and the challenges and opportunities in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
** Recycling Vs. Reproduction
What happens in most educational systems around the world today, including Jordan, is a recycling of education. Minor changes such as replacing the chalkboard with an interactive board, or adding some computerized materials, are made while keeping the same basic inputs (student, teacher, curricula, traditional environment) and the same philosophy, ultimately producing roughly the same outputs, "graduates who may not possess the skills needed to succeed in a changing world.
Reproduction, however, is a deeper and more radical process. It means dismantling the educational system to its core components and rebuilding it anew, taking into account new variables and future aspirations to make a fundamental shift from the model of "recycling education" based on rote learning and memorization to a "reproduced education" model that reshapes the entire educational system. In the traditional model, the student is seen as a passive receiver of knowledge, and the teacher as its sole provider, and the curricula as static information presented within a closed classroom setting. In the future model, education is redefined to include the student's physical, mental, and spiritual aspects, the teacher as a guide and facilitator, and the curricula as a scientific, ethical, and skill-oriented system presented within open and extended educational environments.
The processes shift from memorization and instruction to project-based learning, inquiry, personalized and blended learning, utilizing artificial intelligence and game-based learning in global environments. The ultimate result is the transition from a graduate who possesses a degree only to a graduate who has competencies, adaptability, and mental health, qualified for a changing job market and capable of lifelong learning. For example, this model is presented by the Crown Prince Foundation under royal directives and diligent efforts from His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah through the Hussein Technical University model.
** When Educational Systems Fail to Achieve Their Goals
The call for the reproduction of education is not a luxury of thought, but a response to a real and documented crisis.
Global data indicate that the massive expansion in school enrollment has not necessarily been accompanied by an improvement in the quality of learning. The World Bank states, "More than half of the children in low- and middle-income countries cannot read and understand a simple story by the end of primary school." This phenomenon, known as "learning poverty," is a serious indicator that schools are failing in their fundamental mission.
** Features of the Reproduced Education System: From the "Hardware" Student to Humanizing the Curricula
What will the education system we aspire to look like? In the upcoming articles in this series, we will delve into each component of this new system, but for now, we can outline its broad features:
1 - The "Hardware and Software" Student: We will move beyond seeing the student just as a body, to recognize the importance of his mind, spirit, and mental health. How can a unified educational system and standardized curricula address different students in "software" even if they look similar in "hardware"? This is the core question that requires personalized education that considers individual differences.
2 - Humanizing the Curricula and Integrating Mental Health: Scientific curricula alone are no longer sufficient. We urgently need ethical curricula that foster values, skill-oriented curricula that build competencies, and integrating mental health as a fundamental element of the educational process, as it serves as the "operating system" that enables the student to assimilate and utilize everything he learns.
3 - The Wall-less Educational Environment: The school is no longer the building, but the learning ecosystem that extends into the community, the digital environment, and the entire world. Learning happens everywhere and at all times.
4 - Artificial Intelligence as a Partner: Artificial intelligence will play a pivotal role in customizing learning experiences, freeing teachers from administrative tasks to focus on guidance and counseling, and providing detailed analytics about student performance.
In Conclusion: The Beginning of the Journey
The dialogue between the father and son is a reminder that the new generation sees the world through different eyes, and it raises legitimate questions about the usefulness of what we offer them. Reproducing education is not an option, but a necessary imperative to build knowledge-based societies and strong economies, and to empower our children to face future challenges with confidence and creativity.
In the next article, we will begin our journey to explore the components of this new educational system, starting from the student and teacher, then the curricula and educational environment, drawing inspiration from successful global models such as Finland, Singapore, and Estonia.
