#0069: At the cusp of the education revolution

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Hey !!👋

I feel great as I write the 69th newsletter, connecting with so many people and bringing you the latest in learning and living.

Writing about subjects like skills for the future, world schooling, and alternate learning has opened my eyes to new ways of seeing the world.

It has also allowed me to reach out and talk to people with different backgrounds and experiences. I have learned so much by hearing their stories and understanding the perspectives they bring.

This journey has been a fantastic way to expand, grow, and be more open-minded.

As I am spending a lot of time writing about skills the youth need to succeed, I got to interview Mr. Pradeep Ghosh, founder of Oasis, who has spent a large part of his life helping youth and young adults gain the skills they need to succeed.

He has been an incredible source of inspiration for me, and I wanted to share some of his advice with you.

Here is a conversation we recorded this week.

Golden Takeaways from this talk:

Three essential skills workplaces look for:

1. Ability to work in a team

2. Ability to build a team

3. Leadership Qualities

This aligns with what Sir Ken Robinson, an influential educator and author, advocated for.

He emphasized the importance of collaboration and group learning in education, believing that many of the most significant learning experiences occur within a social and collaborative framework.

MaNaBu Movement believes that children should be treated equally, listened to, and talked with instead of talked to. Children are born to live their ideas, be valued, and be heard.

Here is 10 year old Maya learning from nature as she spends time in the forest.

Spending time in nature can also benefit a child's physical and mental well-being.

It provides opportunities for physical activity, relaxation, and stress reduction. Nature can stimulate a child's imagination, encouraging them to explore, ask questions, and develop problem-solving skills.

When children like Maya learn from their environment and have their voices heard, they are more likely to develop a lifelong love for learning and a strong sense of self-worth.

The MaNaBu Movement's approach aligns with the idea that children are natural learners and should be encouraged to explore, discover, and express themselves uniquely.

This not only enriches their own lives but also contributes to a more compassionate and sustainable society.

I have always been interested in alternate learning spaces and alternate ways of living, and this interest has only grown stronger over the years.

I am now more persistent in bringing to you stories of alternate spaces and programs happening worldwide.

My work is to explore educational alternatives in different countries that could open up new pathways for students, which include online programs, alternative spaces, and independent study programs.

I am so happy to see a rising culture of alternative learning in the world, where people are adopting freelancing, building skills, free exploration, and creating different ways of livelihood.

The ultimate goal is for these projects to open up different pathways to education and bring about a revolution in learning, which will benefit young people.

Sir Ken Robinson, in his talks, compared the structure of many schools to a factory, where students move through the system in batches, grouped by age, and follow a standardized curriculum. He argued that this model was developed during the Industrial Revolution to meet the needs of the time but needed to be more-suited for nurturing creativity and individuality.

In this light, building skills in young people and developing creativity through alternative models of education is the need of the hour to face the challenges of the present world.

It's encouraging to hear that Kosovo and GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), a German development agency, embrace empowering youth to develop skills.

Empowering young people with the necessary skills and opportunities is vital for their personal growth and the socio-economic development of a region or country.

These programs aim to equip young individuals with the skills and knowledge to contribute to their communities and achieve their aspirations.

You can learn more about it here.