Global factors which will impact how we educate the 21st Century child

equipping future generations with the right mix of skills can help us use these trends to shape thriving societies. Regarding our current and future world, young people will increasingly need to focus on making use of what they know and less on just mastering bodies of knowledge.

In the wake of these macro changes, scientists, educators, and policymakers have suggested an array of different skillsets that can prepare today’s children for tomorrow’s challenges. The new demands of our societies require cultivating the breadth of skills—a range of important skills that include the basics that many education systems currently focus on, such as literacy, numeracy, and content knowledge in academic subjects as well as information literacy, flexibility and problem solving.

The new digital economy requires individuals to be able to filter, analyze, and create meaning from the vast amounts of information available online. Skills like complex reasoning and creative thinking can empower individuals to take full advantage of opportunities in the digital world. Digital literacy is also essential. As societies continue to digitize, lacking digital skills will be like not knowing how to read and write. Parents, educators, and civil society organizations like STEMGuyana will need to work together to meet the complex educational needs of the 21st Century child. “It will indeed take a village”