The school curriculum is today designed to teach much more than what comes under the ambit of traditional subjects alone. Progressive schools recognize the importance of holistic development of the child & therefore offer a wide range of opportunities to students. There are so many benefits of learning advanced skills at school some of the new skills being taught include, but are not limited to:
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Creative Thinking
An essential life skill, it can change the way a child approaches a problem. It encourages students to come up with innovative solutions to an issue, a skill that stands them in good stead in life.
Communication Skills
Communication is one of the most vital life skills that makes or breaks relationships, careers & more. Without good communication skills, students may feel emotionally overwhelmed. These skills also go a long way in conflict Resolution. In terms of academics as well, good communication skills help students articulate their ideas, as also boost their collaborative skills.
Entrepreneurship
The start-up culture is currently at its peak. That, however, is not the only reason children need to be taught entrepreneurship. The subject offers students the ability to handle real, complex problems, besides teaching them skills like collaboration & teamwork, creativity, resilience & more.
Computer Programming
The Future of Jobs Report by the World Economic Forum has predicted that 65% of children entering primary school today will end up working in job types that do not even exist yet. Amidst such a dynamic environment, the growing importance of coding as a career skill cannot be overestimated. Besides career development, coding also offers students problem-solving, critical thinking skills, logical ability & more.
Benefits of Learning Advanced Skills in Schools
In a scenario where children are already burdened with information, does it make sense to teach them these advanced skills at the school level? The answer to that question is a resounding yes. It is these skills that will in fact help them in building their careers while preparing them for any challenges that come their way. Let us look at the various benefits these skills offer:
Improved Academic Performance
With skills such as critical thinking, effective communication, time management & more, the one thing the students will naturally benefit is academic performance. With that much more self-awareness and discipline, their grades are bound to be positively impacted.
Making Career Decisions
With innumerable career options opening up for young people, exposure to various fields helps them opt for careers that are in sync with their passion.
With courses on entrepreneurship or Computer Programming, at the school level, for example, the students will be well-equipped when it comes to making career choices at a later date.
Benefits in Employment
Research after research has shown that employers are looking for employability skills that are lacking even in students who are academically high achievers. With these advanced skills, students will learn the ability to self-manage, work as a team, learn time management & people management, and be flexible & adaptable- all of these are skills that employers place a high value on.
Enhancing Creativity and Innovation
While Standardized testing is common in schools, what often takes the backseat is creativity. Courses such as those on critical thinking or entrepreneurship, encourage innovation. In turn, these skills are highly valued when it comes to making applications to the top colleges of the world. Importantly, these are the skills that will stand the child in good stead in their careers as also in life as it throws those curved balls.
Promote Effective Decision-Making
Come to think of it, life is a series of decisions. You could be making big decisions such as what career to choose, who to get married to, or small decisions such as what to have for dinner. Needless to mention, each choice comes with its own implications. With these advanced skills learned early, students will learn to weigh in their decisions & make well-informed ones.
Building Healthy Relationships
Two things go into the making of a healthy relationship
a) one’s own self-esteem & relationship with oneself
b) effective communication skills
With these skills acquired early, children learn to express themselves clearly & assertively while also respecting other people’s opinions. While it is easy to think of good communication as common sense, the fact is that it is a skill that needs to be worked upon so as to form healthy connections in the workplace & beyond.
Help navigate an uncertain future
That we live in a VUCA world is a given. The most important skill that we can offer our children, therefore, is the ability to navigate life and to be able to cope with the many stressors that are likely to come their way. Being exposed to life skills helps students handle uncertainty & failure, which is without a doubt the biggest marker of success.
To Sum Up
The World Bank reports that success in the 21st century will come from acquiring a comprehensive skill set comprising of:
- Cognitive skills- The ability to understand complex ideas, adapt effectively to the environment, learn from experience, and reason.
- Socio-emotional skills- The ability to navigate interpersonal and social situations effectively
- Technical skills- Mastery of tools, material & technology to perform a specific task
- Digital skills- These draw on all the above skills and help integrate and communicate information.
It is these comprehensive skills that will increase employability & productivity for the workforce. Importantly these are the very skills that will help people live happily & fulfilled life.
The important bit is that these skills need to be taught in an age-appropriate manner from an early stage where limiting beliefs have not yet set in.
At Pragyanam, one of the best CBSE schools in Gurgaon, we work towards the holistic development of the child by imbuing the child with a number of advanced skills. Life Skills, therefore, form an extremely important aspect of our curriculum.
Here’s to preparing the child for the road ahead as opposed to trying to prepare the road for the child!
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