By Amnon Eldar, director general of the AMIT network
The Industrial Revolution began in 1760 and transformed predominantly agrarian, rural societies in Europe and America into industrial, urban ones. Schoolchildren sat in long rows and teachers emphasized discipline and rote learning. Since then, the world has changed dramatically. The internet introduced an “information revolution” that affects our economy, society, and technology. Knowledge has gone from the hands of the elite into those of everyone, yet schools have not adapted to this change and still prepare graduates for the old world.
A recent survey conducted by the AMIT network to gauge what parents want and expect from the religious educational system shows that they understand there is a gap between what children learn in the classroom and what happens in the real world. In the 21st century, children need skills such as creativity, entrepreneurship, flexibility, and teamwork—and these don’t go hand in hand with passive education that stresses memorizing material. Many parents were pleased with the learning climate in their child’s schools, but only 23% of them said they were satisfied with their child’s preparedness for the 21st century—meaning that about three-quarters of them see a problem with the current system.
A student who completed high school in the existing framework is still memorizing information and regurgitating it back during exam time, mostly forgetting it afterward. He is not being tested on learning abilities, comprehension and analysis, and other necessary skills. Instead, he is being tested on memory and repetition, which are less relevant in the Google era.
The skills required to advance and develop in today’s workforce aren’t measured in bagrut exams or standardized tests. These include: verbal abilities, the ability to present a project, to work collaboratively, to seek, sort through, and analyze information, to be creative and take initiative, and think outside the box.
The future is forcing us to create fundamental changes in schools today. In order to cultivate students who will succeed in the next century, we must adapt our schools to it now. A teacher, who in the past would transfer knowledge to students, will now be a mentor and guide; students will transform into independent, curious learners who view learning as a lifelong value; and schools must adapt to the needs of these students and their future in the workforce of the tomorrow.
How can we encourage students to learn through engagement and turn learning into a way of life? By building a new culture and climate within our schools, one that is like family, one that is safe, and encourages open dialogue between students and teachers, one whose learning is based on choice and experimentation, one that allows students to learn from others and from their mistakes, and one that can be shared outside of the school walls. All of these are critical ingredients that will encourage our students to take responsibility for their own learning process.
Schools must offer experiential learning and subjects that are relevant to children’s personal, emotional, ethical, religious, spiritual, and social growth. In order for learning to become a way of life, it has to be challenging and must encourage curiosity, initiative, creativity, and innovation.
In recent years, principals, teachers, consultants, experts have created a new concept called “Gogya” for the AMIT network. Gogya is an organizational and cultural change that is leading to radical educational change. It is not simply changing the teaching style within classrooms; it is an attempt to offer solutions to the organizational, educational, and ethical issues raised by our partners for innovative change in the network. The “language” of Gogya is leading schools toward creating “learning communities.” The goal is for a graduate of these communities to receive the ultimate preparation for the future, not for the past.
