UK leaders lash out at British system

dubai — Education today needs an urgent revolutionary approach as it is the single-most transformative thinking tool that leads to national development. Tony Blair, the former prime minister of the UK, said that if he was back in power, he would take this revolutionary approach towards education, as there are several elements within education that still continues to be a resistance to change.

Meanwhile, George Osborne, a British conservative party politician, who served as the chancellor of the exchequer, under prime minister David Cameron said, “Despite the innovative whiteboard and other innovative teaching tools, classrooms in the UK continue to look exactly like how it did 100 years ago… All this incredible change in technology has still not hit the education sector.”

The former politicians criticised the state of education in the UK while speaking at the sixth edition of the Global Education and Skills Forum (GESF) in Dubai, on Sunday. Blair and Osborn were in-conversation with Vikas Pota, the chief executive of the Varkey Foundation.

Both Blair and Osborne opined that despite massive technological advancements, there continues to be a serious gap in the

I know perfectly educated people who voted for Brexit. I don’t agree with them, but I don’t think education is the problem per se.” Tony Blair, Former British PM

education sector, especially in terms of students not being able to creatively apply their education to the challenges they face in the workforce. The second challenge also lies in the fact that heads of governments are not taking education as seriously as they should.

The former PM also said that education should not be blamed for Brexit. “I know perfectly educated people who voted for Brexit. Now I don’t agree with them, but I don’t think education is the problem per se,” added Blair.

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com