education can teach skills, not mass-produce innovators.pdf
TRANSCRIPT
FROM CHEN JUNYI - APRIL 9
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Education can teach skills, notmass-produce innovators
The report “Education system’s emphasis on tests discourages innovation:Experts” (April 8) indicates that the pursuit of scoring in examinations isnot the way to produce innovators or equip them to be at the forefront ofjobs of the future.
The report “Education system’s emphasis on tests discourages innovation: Experts”(April 8) indicates that the pursuit of scoring in examinations is not the way to produceinnovators or equip them to be at the forefront of jobs of the future.
I wish to offer a different perspective on innovation. First, no educational system canactually create innovators; by its definition, most people are not innovative.
It is possible to discourage or stifle the rare people who have innovative minds, but it isnot possible for an educational system to churn out innovators like a factorymanufactures computers.
The innovation process is very much the innovator’s personal response to hisobservations and experiences in his environment. To take this process to a successfulphase requires discipline, risk-taking, determination and faith.
But to begin with, innovators must have something in them that they must discover forthemselves. This is not something an individual can be equipped with by any educationalsystem. None of the modern innovators — for example, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and MarkZuckerberg — achieved what they did because of the system which they went through.
What, then, should the educational system provide for students? If the majority do nothave it in them to be innovators or designers of tomorrow’s jobs, they must at least beequipped to learn skills that are not around today.
State education must take care of this majority rather than restructure to be gearedtowards nurturing what will at best be a minority of innovators. What must be set rightare the expectations imparted to pupils and families.
Scoring well in examinations does not guarantee a high income, and exams should no
longer be tools for putting a value on people. Exams should instead be a form offeedback to the individual learners. Government bodies should take the lead to designand customise their hiring processes without relying on exam grades as the first hurdlefor applicants.
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