Here with the 9th grade students from Soeiro Pereira Gomes School - Alhandra, Portugal
The world is changing, and it’s changing fast — much faster than our education system has so far been able to keep up.
One question that comes to mind “Do schools kill creativity?” I believe that the purpose of education is to “take us into a future that we can’t grasp.” In a world that is increasingly defined by complexity, hyper-connectivity, and rapid technological advancements, it seems ever more necessary to equip young people with skills that enable them to adapt and thrive.
Whether one calls these “essential skills,” “character traits,” or a “growth education”, there is a consensus on the necessity for collaboration, creativity, and the ability to act constructively in an ambiguous and changing environment. In the context of an uncertain world, the best thing parents and teachers can do is to teach their children and students to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning. Education systems worldwide are facing criticism for failing to prepare children to face the challenges of the modern world, through an over-emphasis on repetitive learning and exam preparation. In this context we call for new learning ecosystems that empower young people to shape the future that they want, rather than only reacting to it. But what do these new learning eco-systems look like?
One example of this is the school Soeiro Pereira Gomes School in Alhandra, Portugal. My colleague Nuno Olim Marote of Give Peace A Voice NGO, working with Manuela Ralha of the Vila Franca de Xira Municipality organized an invitation to the school. Once there, we were received by the visionary Principal Isabel Estevinha and a musical tribute by the 6th grade class. We proceeded to an educational forum presented by the students of 9th grade. The students were from 11 different countries including Portugal, Cape Verde, France, Mozambique, Chile, Brazil, Unites States of America and Nepal to name a few. The student from Nepal introduced me to his class, with an impressive summarization of my biography from memory including a power-point. I was amazed at the research he’d done, he seemed to know more about me than I do:-) I was very humbled and honored to speak with the students. Nuno Marote spoke about his foundation and how important it is for the advancement of peace through the arts.
Their class presentation was about United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 — Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Water and sanitation are at the very core of sustainable development, critical to the survival of people and the planet. Goal 6 not only addresses the issues relating to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, but also the quality and sustainability of water resources worldwide.
To see such young students so concerned about the global planet was a breath of fresh air. The students had many questions mostly focusing on my foundation, We Can Save Children and my life as a humanitarian. The children were hopefully inspired by my life’s mission but it is ultimately I who was inspired by them. I was in awe of them, for they are the ones that will make our planet a better, cleaner and safer place to live. Sadly, as I mentioned to them, the planet my generation and my predecessors are leaving is a “Shitty Planet”! It’s now up to them to change it, and make it a better place for future generations, and from what I saw today, their presentation about, food waste, and clean water, was incredible. I wish I had been given the opportunity to study these subjects in school. Though I was fortunate to go to private schools in Surrey, England I don’t think learning Latin and ancient Greek, really helped guide my future.
Education is an important factor in a young person’s development, but it is not the only one. To genuinely support young people to become leaders we need to work across sectors. The young people I met, these social entrepreneurs and innovators are demonstrating the importance of creating social change. By supporting young people to actively shape the world they want to live in, we are preparing a generation to thrive in a world of change and tackle the biggest social issues that are facing our world today.
The former United States President Obama delivered a televised back-to-school address to the nation’s students. “Nobody gets to write your destiny but you. Your future is in your hands. Your life is what you make of it. And nothing — absolutely nothing — is beyond your reach, so long as you’re willing to dream big, so long as you’re willing to work hard. So long as you’re willing to stay focused on your education, there is not a single thing that any of you cannot accomplish.” It was profound then as it is now.
To the 9th grade students I met in Alhandra, all I can say is that you inspire me to strive harder and world harder to lay the ground work for you all. You have such potential and vision. Stay true to yourselves, never give up, because you are capable of seizing future opportunities, and ride the waves of change in the 21st century.
Vincent Lyn CEO/Founder at We Can Save Children Director of Creative Development at African Views Organization Economic & Social Council at United Nations Middle East Correspondent at Wall Street News Agency Rescue & Recovery Specialist at International Confederation of Police & Security Experts
we had an amazing exprence with you sir thanks for being in our school and thanks for your beautifull message that you gave for us we feel inspired by you.
Thanks alot