The world is an unpredictable, rapidly changing interconnected global economy. We cannot survive by applying the same formula over and over again and education systems must be prepared to teach our students to be ready to survive in this new economy.

Dr. Stephen Holmes* (Dr. Holmes) expanded on these skills that will take a child from Kindergarten to Grade School to University and then into the Workforce at the first ever ‘ISS International Schools Education Talk’ series, which took place on Tuesday 28 November 2017 at our Paterson campus.

“The skills needed to prepare our children from school to college, to the workforce is ever changing and changing dramatically too. School programmes must be ready to support this change and cannot continue the same practice of the past.” Dr Holmes

Skills such as the ability to:

• pose and solve problems;
• research to ensure that they can discover things and acquire new knowledge and thinking skills (evidence-based thinking);
• manage their own learning and collaborate with others;
• be creative and innovative to adapt to new situations;
• communicate effectively and persuasively with diverse people skills;
• have a global mindset;
• have an entrepreneurial passion;
• always have integrity, be reliable, responsible and show humility

He also expanded on what Schools must do to support these skills development amongst our students. He shared the importance of an inquiry-based learning environment with a focus on interdisciplinary learning for students, and identified three pillars for the future Educational establishments that parents should look for when making critical schooling/University decisions. The reputation of the school, the ability to make your child learn happily and a school that is innovative and forward thinking. It was good to know that ISS International School had strong ticks in all the necessary boxes!

The enthusiasm shown by the parents (ISS and non-ISS parents) and guests who came, were unmistakable as endless questions were asked and Dr. Holmes amicably complied to de-mystify their queries on the subject.

A fruitful learning experience was definitely had by one and all that evening.

*Dr. Stephen Holmes, is an experienced and credentialed facilitator in the world of strategy planning, market positioning, and reputation management for the education sector, has consulted, researched, published and spoken globally with schools, ç, and universities. He has built his name as a world leading authority in facilitating the transition of the education sector, to a more responsive orientation in increasingly competitive and open contexts.