Students need (and deserve) a globalized curriculum

Key points:

Learning should last a lifetime. Our curiosity about the world around us and its people must be unwavering, and yet school curricula around the world do not reflect our ever-evolving landscape and impede the transition to developing technology. In my opinion, education should inspire passion for things beyond our immediate circle.

We should help our children and future generations on their lifelong learning journey and equip them with skills that they can transfer into whatever job or business they find themselves in. Education should not be limited. Children need space to learn and grasp new concepts and ideas; This is how we achieve innovation and a more prosperous future. Implementing a globalized curriculum will do just that and more.

It will culturally enrich students

Culture influences all of us and the media we participate in, but much of it is neglected in the traditional curriculum, especially in Western countries. Having a globalized curriculum would culturally enrich students because it encourages critical thinking about global challenges such as climate change, poverty, and international conflicts.

A globalized curriculum would also develop problem-solving skills, as students would be able to analyze complex global issues from multiple perspectives and formulate their own solutions individually and as a group. Getting students to work together is crucial, not only for their personal development, but also for improving their communication with others. In a work or business environment, it is advantageous to be able to work with different people and adapt to their personalities and thoughts, and combined with technology, students’ social skills will benefit greatly. Discussions can be conducted in different formats, such as virtual games, facilitating a different type of conversation but without completely abandoning human supervision. Additionally, a globalized curriculum would take teamwork to the next level with the use of immersive technology such as virtual reality so that students can participate from their classroom or dorm room and connect with others from anywhere in the world.

Finally, a globalized curriculum creates unity through diversity. Greater awareness of other cultures and the reduction of racial or cultural discrimination opens the door to more opportunities for collaboration and equal opportunities for all. Ensuring this connection will produce more open and free-spirited students with a deeper understanding of global issues and how different countries operate. With remote work becoming the norm in many countries, students should learn to work from different locations and use the technology at their disposal to create their own work. Entrepreneurship can involve a lot of travel and exploration, and a globalized curriculum would incorporate that and make knowledge much more accessible.

Promotes thinking outside the box

We should move away from the idea of ​​having a “dream job” or pursuing a career we love. We all have different skills and talents. Not many of us can pigeonhole ourselves, but a traditional curriculum values ​​pleasing others and responding to their ideas rather than cultivating our own and profiting from them. A globalized curriculum would not only equip students with skills they can apply in the workplace, but also prepare them to establish their own business if they wish. The ability to create jobs should be encouraged, but it is not promoted or integrated into daily lessons. A globalized curriculum links business skills such as management, leadership and financial literacy with digital skills such as artificial intelligence and coding, meaning students would have tools to take on leadership roles or create their own companies. Financial literacy is not something that is widely taught in schools, so a globalized curriculum would fill that gap and ensure that more students do not fall behind in these vital life skills.

Promotes global citizenship

We need a more humanitarian approach to education to embrace our own humanity, understand what makes us human and what makes us unique, and embrace diversity, increasing our emotional quotient (EQ) and our social quotient (SQ). IQ tests, traditional methods of measuring a person’s intelligence, do not measure critical skills for the future. They measure one type of intelligence: the type that ai can do much better than humans.

Generation Z, the most social media-savvy generation, is aware of global events and challenges and is more aware of social issues. A globalized curriculum would support their activism and their role as global citizens. Additionally, entrepreneurship requires you to be a leader on many fronts, not only for your business and your team, but also globally. A globalized curriculum would emphasize the importance of pragmatism and contribution to your community and therefore create respectable business leaders.

Closing gaps between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds

A globalized curriculum allows students from diverse backgrounds to find common ground and foster mutual respect. Helps overcome stereotypes and prejudices, promoting a more inclusive and harmonious school environment. Remote learning tools create an inclusive environment as they can participate no matter where they are from. Furthermore, having a globalized curriculum would eliminate harmful barriers by making students interact with people from different backgrounds. Keeping learning and students isolated does a lot of harm.

When we know our strengths and abilities, we can embrace our passions and follow our purpose, so that we are working with our reason for being and as such we can make a greater contribution to society. By learning 21st century skills and solving real-world problems, our students are prepared for success as they enter the world of business or academia. As Richard Branson says, “Entrepreneurship is about turning what you love in life into capital, so you can do more and move forward.” Globalization is vitally important to the success of humanity because we need global collaboration to solve global problems. We need emotional intelligence, empathy and understanding to collaborate with people from other cultures and belief systems, and we need entrepreneurial thinking to find solutions.