21st Century Skills...Really?

With all the reading I have done so far regarding 21st Century Skills and the imperative for it to be taught in our educational systems has me really concerned. Especially, listening to Ken Kay, President of the Partnership of 21st Century Skills and reading the organizations promotional material, I'm not convinced that the skills they are talking about are really all that new. In fact I'm more concerned that this "partnership" is all nothing more than a lobbying organization for some of the the varied groups of businesses that sponsor them.

So when they talk about preparing students for what's to come in the workforce and the skills necessary for that endeavour, who are they really looking out for, the students or the organizations that they represent.

Let's take a look at what these guys say is what is absolutely necessary for our students to succeed in the 21st century:

I look at these outcomes and wonder what is really new? Aren't these what we already teach? I know that in my province the above outcomes are already stated in the various outcomes of the curriculum that I teach.

Kay says that these outcomes will prepare students for the new workforce. But I say that if those outcomes are already being taught then it doesn't matter what workforce students will enter. They will have the skills necessary to be successful at whatever venture they choose. I believe this is the point that Jay Mathews is trying to make in his article in WashingtonPost.com (and in similar articles).

It does seem that this push towards "21st Century Skills" is more of a fad especially when the emphasis is getting students ready for the workforce. I will concede however to Kay's point that a student may have 3 or more careers in his/her lifetime and therefore we must ready the student for that possibility. If the emphasis is on getting students ready for the  new workforce then how is this different from what the educational system did 40 - 60 years ago? The workplace environment was different back then and the educational system prepared the students to be a part of that workforce.

Changes that need to be made, in my opinion, is to change the view that the purpose of education is to prepare students for the workforce. Rather, the purpose of education is to give students the knowledge and skills necessary to be productive members of their society. It seems that these "21st Century Skills" are only gearing students towards one track, one workforce, something that is highly technological, and highly math and science based.... and it is being sugar coated with the guises of creativity and collaboration. But I ask what about teaching skills that will encourage students to pursue their talents, pursue entrepreneurship, pursue artistic endeavours, pursue other ventures that will make them successful and productive in their society. Should not those skills be taught as well? (Yes entrepreneurship is listed as a 21st Century skill, but I was not given the impression that it would be for one's own good but rather for the good of the organization that the student may be employed with.)

Mathews in his article is very critical of this recent emphasis on "21st Century Skills" and he has a good reason to be. I too am equally critical. What some may call "21st Century Skills", I call good teaching methods. The change that needs to happen and must happen in our educational system is the methodology of delivering instruction and focusing that instruction on higher level thinking. Instruction cannot happen the way it was done in the past, where the teacher lectures and the student listens. We all know that is a method that does not work. So then a teacher has to find other methods that gets students involved and engaged in the lesson...using whatever skills necessary to achieve that. My issue with these skills is not that they are not necessary…they are, it is with the fact that it is something that is being pushed as new and revolutionary therefore it must be taught, sort of like a do or die situation... and that is what makes it seem like a fad.


On another point completely unrelated (somewhat) to my point above. The stats that were shared by the Partnership of 21st Century Skills were all American based (and yes I know that the organization is American and therefore its target audience is American). Perhaps then this is more of an American need/phenomenon/issue. Their stats and research focused on the failings of the American educational system and its impact on the American economy. So my question is, would it be different here in Canada? The Canadian educational system is far different from the American system and therefore our needs would be far different as well. The Partnership of 21st Century Skills related the failings of the American economy to the American education system. Does the same apply to Canada?

Look at this...


According to the Conference Board of Canada, we score an 'A' on our education as opposed to a 'C' for the US. I'm not saying that the Canadian  educational system is far better that than the American system. I'm just saying that perhaps our needs are different from that of the United States.

Yes, our educational system needs to make many changes, maybe similar to those of the changes that need to be made in the American system, but I want to know what are those changes that need to made in Canada, specifically for the Canadian educational system.

So does the same apply to Canada? Perhaps, but to what extent?