Trends Shaping Education 2019

                      This post is a summary of the book with the title above, published at https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/trends-shaping-education-2019_trends_edu-2019-en#page3

                    Trends Shaping Education 2019 is designed to support long-term strategic thinking in education. Using trends to think about the future requires robust sources of data. Did you ever wonder whether education has a role to play in preparing our societies for an age of artificial intelligence? Connecting education to mega-trends is not straightforward. The future is inherently unpredictable. Long-term strategic thinking in education thus needs to consider both the set of trends and the possible ways they might evolve in the future. Globalisation facilitates the emergence of transnational networks and trade. Human mobility across borders has increased with more affordable transport and communications. The economic growth resulted in an expansion of the global middle class. Yet globalisation also brings new challenges. Education has an important role to play in equipping students with the skills needed to succeed in the global future. A well-functioning democracy relies on the civic knowledge and skills of its citizens, as well as their engagement in public matters. There is an important role for education to play in improving civic participation and fostering democratic citizenship. However, difficult questions remain. Key questions for the future include how we strike a fair balance between all parties, and what this means for fostering social cohesion and trust. Examining the future of education in the context of mega-trends has two main goals. First, it is necessary to better prepare education for the transformation underway in economic, social, and technological spheres. Second, it is key to better understand how education can influence these trends. Education has the potential to influence the life outcomes of the disadvantage. It is a powerful tool to reduce inequality. It can help combat the increasing polarization of our societies, and empower people and communities to take charge of their own civic processes and democratic institutions. Artificial Intelligence (AI), the revolution of intelligent machines able to perform human-like cognitive tasks is expected to become especially important in health care (cancer detection), transport (driverless cars), and the environment (smart energy consumption). Education can ensure that students have the competence needed to compete in an innovative world. With the rise of AI, big data and sophisticated search algorithms, do learners need to learn facts anymore? What consequences would there be if they would not? Increasing competition in global research fuels the push for countries to constantly innovate to maintain their competitive position. does education foster and value the creativity necessary to be innovative? It has never been as easy to access information, express one's opinion and reach out to fellow citizens as it is in today's digital world. The digital world has expanded opportunities for citizens to use their voice, but this is not guarantee that they can access reliable information or have the willingness to listen to and compromise with others. What kind of civic virtues do modern democracies require? How can citizens sort fact from fiction? how can education systems better support students develop civic knowledge and skills a democracy requires? We depend on the uninterrupted functioning of ICT systems for virtually all aspects of our daily lives. Physical goods, services, and much of our infrastrucuture are all now coordinated and delivered through computer systems. Knowledge and skills in cyber security is valuable asset. Job security is an important element of economic and financial security. Globalisation has resulted in many jobs moving to different parts of the world; with automation performing tasks previously carried out by human employees, and deindustrialisation has led to more jobs becoming part of the `knowledge economy` instead of manual labour. Another trend is the rise of a `gig economy`, where work might no longer be tied to a steady job but instead coordinated through some kind of digital freelance platform. The Internet is used today in many different aspects of our daily lives, from shopping and connecting with friends and family to managing household and informing our health decisions. Digital engagement is growing across all age groups, reducing concerns about older populations being excluded due to lower participation rates. How can education support older adults in accessing the benefits of digitalisation? Our fast-changing societies are creating entirely new categories of work, such as social media managing and augmented reality architecture; at the same time, other jobs become obsolete through automation. The role of education in developing the skills needed for the future of work is indispensable. Many common activities that once required physical contact or social interaction are now carried out online, such as talking to family and friends or consulting a doctor. Whether it is a job, a room for the night, or the love of your life, online activity often translates into offline outcomes. This challenges the education system, which must take advantage of the tools and strengths of new technologies while simultaneously addressing concerns about potential misuse, such as cyberbullying, and loss of privacy. How can education support all students develop the digital skills needed to create and produce content, which can help their self-expression, learning and well-being? As more humans fill the planet, the more impact we have on the environment. We can moderate or even reverse some of the negative effects, as shown by successful campaigns to ban chemicals responsible for the hole in the ozone layer. many people are making purchasing choices that help to mitigate the environmental impact. Education can foster the knowledge awareness needed to make sustainable choices; and empower individuals to identify and take actions in cases of degradation.