patrickpan comments

Truly enjoying the conversation that is taking place around this topic. Can see for sure a lot of misunderstanding in the contents of the article related to the comments written above. Being an active listener is one of the keys to a deeper understanding of a situation. The main message is that many of us who grew up in the 20th century model did not find most of what we learnt to be relevant to our lives. This lack of relevance turns peoples people away from the passion to learn The cost of international schools is very high and know that the international schools wish they were able to make their schools more affordable. Many parents who send their children to International schools pay out of their pocket as well. They feel it is the best choice in the options available to give their children the best possible future they can. They sacrifice a lot. The key is to create schools that are meeting the needs of today's world in schools which can meet these needs that are free. The education ministries, teachers unions in many countries and test driven systems have not stepped up to bridge this gap. This a very clear in Japan. The model of yesterday is fine i n countries that are focussed building and hiring workers to work in these factories. Japan passed this stage a long time ago. Japan is in a situation which requires global and innovative thinkers to meet it current needs. In general they are really missing the boat.

The core point with many colleges in the world is their entrance exams and guidelines are not relevant to today's fast changing world and on top of that many students have debt after university that will take them years to pay off. Yes, some of the universities on the list of 100 are free which is wonderful and provides hope and options for those who cannot afford many of the top schools which are quite expensive. It is sad to see in places in the world where students start life in the real world with a huge debt.

Much of the value in school is learning how to collaborate, work within timelines, to gain experience that will prepare our youth to engage in a world that has different demands. Meeting different demands requires innovation and creativity to move forward. Corporations as well are trying to figure out how to have their workers be more innovative and creative however the schools are producing factory workers not thinkers in Japan. If in a board room you can get the answer to a question using google why wouldn't you do so. When is the last time you pulled a book off your shelve to get the answer to a question?

The real conversation is around how we can ensure our children are being prepared for their future which in general is not happening. The adults today really don't understand this difference and would really see this difference if they went to a school which ensured the learners had some level of empowerment in an environment that was interesting, engaging and relevant. If these are some of the key factors for reflection what grade would you give our schools?

I am happy to see some comments related to the article! It is true some countries have free university education.

The comment on value of students becoming adults mainly focusses on the transition from living with your family at home to living on your own and having to be self-sufficent. Did not intend anyone to understand this as receiving an online education and to stay at home to do it. There is value in the debate and interaction which takes place in the classroom environment. Many schools are also bridging the gap and are aligned with 21st Century learning however most of the top schools ranked in the world are quite expensive http://www.usnews.com/education/worlds-best-universities-rankings/top-400-universities-in-the-world

I know a lot of international schools that would prefer to have their tuition much lower however would not be able to run. Would be great to see the public education systems move their learning into the 21st Century. This is generally speaking of course.