words Ry-Ann Lim

Education has been a topic close to my heart since young. As a child, being “educated” meant pleasing parents, potentially getting a “better” (read: higher-paying) job, being looked at with more respect, and the potential for upward social mobility. However, as I grew up, my view of education deepened in two fundamental ways:

i) What education truly meant to me

ii) How I can continue seeking education

Being educated is different from being literate. Literacy cannot make a person wise, but education can.

“Literacy”, the ability to read and write, is often equated with “education”, but it is not the same. Literacy is a start to education. Today, I view education as the complete development of a person in terms of knowledge, sensibility, and character. However, growing up in mainstream education, I grew adept at stuffing random facts to pass exams. I likened school to a factory, and I was the assembly line worker. 

My teachers played an outsize role in shaping learning outcomes. I viewed teachers as unapproachable authority figures to go to only if I had the correct answers. In my adult life, I had to unlearn this. Experiencing “mentorship” for the first time was a paradigm shift where I felt my opinions and reasoning were valued over getting the answers right. I believe this way of learning will be more relevant as we face even more precarious challenges of the 21st century.

Jobs changes as the economy changes, the economy changes as the world changes; case in point: the COVID pandemic, climate change. Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) highlighted the discrepancies between today’s curriculum and the diverse needs of preparing students for the future. For example, what’s taught in my classroom did not prepare me for the jobs that didn’t exist then.

How will people upskill or reskill to participate in this new economy? Most importantly, how will we upskill and reskill to face the challenges of the 21st century?

We have many choices, and more options are continually added. My learning ranges from apps on my phone to advanced degrees and everything in between. Higher education has often been thought of as a tedious, slow-moving ivory tower disconnected from reality. Undergrad and post-graduate studies who are intent on disrupting that mindset encourage internships and real work experience.

Currently, many eminent universities are innovating and offering courses, credentials, and degrees in formats that provide what people need, when they need it, to succeed in the new economy. At this moment, I may not need another degree, but I wish to update and expand my skill set to stay competitive or just find better ways to do things. Thus, short, affordable courses that teach in-demand skills are optimal. While this kind of curriculum and learning outcomes connect to market demands, a more holistic approach to learning may have larger and longer-lasting benefits. 

For me, it is vital to continuously read biographies and memoirs because they provide the most valuable life lessons. It's instructive to know how others handled the crises in their lives, pursued passions, found their partners, built families, and made an impact. People who write autobiographies have an exciting story to tell about the trials and tribulations of their own lives. Every life has a beginning, middle, and end, and it’s interesting to see how one has lived one's life, especially for someone at the beginning like me. (p/s: If you are wondering, I am currently reading Samatha Power’s The Education of an Idealist).

Religious text also offers age-old wisdom that never goes out of style. Although I don’t think all religions are equally true, it’s possible that great religions are equally legitimate.

We can acknowledge that people who believe differently have valid and thoughtful reasons for their own faith traditions and accept how it makes sense to them. We’ve heard it many times before, ‘Don’t kill’, ‘Don’t steal’, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’, however it is important to be in constant communion with these virtues because what’s the point of great knowledge when one is not doing the right thing? If you are not so religiously inclined, I also recommend Ryan Holiday’s The Daily Stoic for a daily dose of meaningful text to ponder on. 

Meditation as education also helps us tap into the wisdom of the body.

There is growing evidence of the mind-body connection, including Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Perspective, that has shed light on the “brains” in our heart and gut. Information is always travelling from our brain to the rest of our body and from the rest of our body to our brain. Meditation allows us to turn toward information in our body. We can use that information to respond well, rather than having vague sensations that we don’t address, leaving us feeling uneasy without quite knowing why.

There is more than one way to get a meaningful education. Personally, I also see play as education.

Pre-pandemic that would mean visiting villages and rainforest in Malaysia and having an adventure of a lifetime that I will continue to reflect and learn from to this day. It would also mean hopping at the back of a friend’s motorbike, scooting around Vietnam. Currently, I learn through play by virtually meeting with a small group of friends to deep-dive and explore different interest topics outside our 9-5 jobs on Sundays. 

As I graduate this month, I remember that lifelong learning is no longer optional — it’s mandatory.

A new economy will include more technology and automation. As we face the future, we will require higher levels of knowledge and skill. New challenges await us; scientists suggest that global warming may have already passed an irreversible tipping point. Thus, continuous learning and wisdom to do the right thing is required for ongoing protection against obsolescence and helps us lead a better life.