Today's students need global outlook

This month in New York, the International Summit on the Teaching Profession, now in its second year, will gather together education leaders from among the highest-performing countries in the world, as determined by OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment.

A key topic of the meeting will be the preparation of teachers and principals to deliver the 21st century skills students need for success in today's global economy.

While definitions of 21st century skills vary, they all reflect the changing nature of work. Many young people entering the labor market, in Beijing, Bangalore, or Boston, will be working in 24/7 global production teams. As more routine jobs can be done by computer or outsourced, the advantage will go to workers who can analyze and solve problems, recognize patterns and similarities, and communicate and collaborate across languages and cultures. This is leading to the restructuring of the teaching profession and curriculum in many countries, including China.

The Ministry of Education's current Outline for Medium and Long-term Development and Reform of Education (2010-20) will update China's national curriculum to better meet these real-world needs. It includes an emphasis on teaching that improves the relevance of the content students study to stimulate their interest. Teachers are directed to move away from rote learning and instead aim at increasing student participation, real-life experience, teamwork, and problem-solving and analysis skills. Additionally, subject areas will not be divided as rigidly, so that for example, natural sciences and the humanities may be integrated.

In Shanghai, one new component of the curriculum is inquiry-based learning and extra-curricular activities support its implementation in classrooms, where more time is allocated to student activities and less to lecturing. The intent is to develop students' capacity to think creatively and critically - skills that are essential in innovation-driven economies. Teachers are now required to engage in professional development to ensure they are able to cultivate these abilities in students.

In a world rendered "flat" through globalization and technological revolutions, 21st century skills are essential. Students that are globally competent should be able to formulate and explore globally significant questions and create a coherent response that considers multiple perspectives and draws useful and defensible conclusions.

They should also recognize that they have a particular perspective and that others may or may not share it. They should be able to articulate and explain the perspectives of others and compare them with their own perspective to construct a new point of view.

Globally competent students are proficient in English, the lingua franca of world commerce, and at least one other language. They are also skilled users of media and technology.

They should see themselves as being capable of making a difference and be able to recognize opportunities in which they may do so. They should be able to weigh options based on evidence and insight, assess the potential effects and be able to act and reflect on the consequences of their actions.

Our research shows that learning with a global context is more relevant and engaging for students - critical factors in improving academic performance.

Chinese educators have recognized the importance of global knowledge and skills. In the last education reform plan in the mid-1990s, world history and world geography became a standard part of the curriculum and English became mandatory beginning in elementary school. In the current reform plan, technology skills and proficiency in English are emphasized.

And to help assist teachers in gaining this global perspective, China has announced a new plan to send 50,000 principals to study successful schools in other countries. The challenge for China is to merge its global outlook with its equally important and ambitious goals for developing its students' creativity and problem solving skills.

Meeting this challenge will create a strong foundation for developing students that are globally competent citizens and leaders.

The author is vice-president for education at the Asia Society and leads the society's Partnership for Global Learning.

(China Daily 03/03/2012 page5)