Preparing Students in 21st Century

Schools always strive to prepare the students to be able to face the challenges of the world around them, and come up with solutions that will make their lives comfortable and easy. Schools should ensure that students are equipped with skills that allow them to face life. As years are passing, the challenges of life keep evolving. The challenges that our grandfathers faced are not what we face today. Therefore, there is a need for today’s schools to adopt new ways that will enable them prepare students for the 21st Century.

It is advisable that the schools approached teaching in a way that helped students to be critical thinkers. The education received should not only be useful in helping students read and write, and pass exams, but also should help them create solutions for the problems that face them daily. Students should be able to think sharply and act quickly so as to address the problem that they face. Schools should strive to teach the students that in every problem, there are multiple answers and not only one answer (Darling-Hammond, 2006).

According to Jenkins (2009), schools have taught students to become leaders for a long time. It is true that ability to lead others can be a key to a successful career. But the approach that the schools have employed in teaching this skill is becoming quite obsolete. Instead of just teaching just typical teamwork through getting each student participates in a group, students should be made to take different roles within the group every time. This will equip them with the ability to be dynamic.

Finally, schools should not only prepare students for employment. Students should be taught entrepreneurial skills. Students should also be prepared to be innovative. This will help them move from the mentality of employment into that of job creation (Porter & McKibbin, 1988).