A class of students is a class of diverse human beings with different socio-emotional experiences, cognitive abilities, and individual challenges that they bring with them when they step into their classrooms.

For students, barriers to learning aren’t just limited to what happens inside the classroom. To holistically understand those barriers, it is important to delve into underlying social challenges that students face outside the classroom as well. Teachers that overlook students’ needs, end up spoiling and compromising the learning experience.

Learning is a social and emotional process. As societies have become increasingly complex, students’ needs and challenges have also become intricate. Students hailing from harsh socio-economic backgrounds that are living through grim circumstances are expected to excel just as their peers coming from privileged backgrounds. Other social pressures may cause severe anxieties among students which may have developed in reaction to aggressive parenting. Gendered discrimination against female students in classrooms may discourage them from speaking up or showcasing their potential against other male students. Marginalised students will struggle to adapt to a form of learning that favours dominant cultures, ethnicities and religious values which may restrict them from expressing their own unique identities. These challenges are fundamental to education as they will impact the way learners learn. Subsequently, if the education they are receiving does not help them overcome these challenges, then what are they actually learning?

As we navigate through this difficult time for in the field of education, we must remember that challenges will continue to increase exponentially and so our ways of thinking and problem solving must catch up to that level. Today, the purpose of educating our children should not merely be about solving complex mathematical issues but also to solve complex social issues. While mainstream subjects provide inert knowledge, the ability to challenge ideas and think beyond formulas and facts will allow these powerful young minds to innovate, reimagine structures, and catalyze social change. Existing teaching practices are mostly dependent on solely imparting knowledge to students in the form of memorisation. Consequently, students end up utilising only a fraction of their cognitive abilities. They end up with unanswered questions. If this prevails, how will our students become future leaders?

There is a need to reimagine learning in schools. In this reimagined way of learning, learners should use 21st century skills to address 21st century challenges. They should openly engage in discussions about social issues and make learning holistic and of great value. They should be placed in learning environments that showcase their creative abilities and allow for adaptive thinking to take place. These environments will compel them to identify their socio-emotional needs and form their unique identities. They should be challenged in ways that replicate the socio-political challenges of our time. They should be encouraged to think out of the box and shape their own worldview, engage in discourse and create solutions.

There are a number of ways in which schools can implement this reimagined way of learning. It will require them to train their teachers and adopt better practices.

Schools need to start explicitly teaching and actively supporting 21st century skills with a whole-child focus part of their curriculum while particularly highlighting those skills with high return in the labour market such as, creativity, confidence, problem solving, leadership qualities etc. For decades, researchers in the field of education have been advocating for what they call the whole-child approach. Derived from Foucauldian literature, the whole-child is a genealogical approach that stresses on providing children the foundation they need to grow in their individual capacities and become socially and emotionally aware of themselves. In parallel, teachers should use methods and techniques that instill an intrinsic motivation in students to learn. As Pakistan grapples with sustained educational challenges whether affected by climate change, exacerbated class chasms, poor governance etc, the need to learn 21st century skills and understand social-emotional needs is becoming increasingly important.

Furthermore, schools need to create an environment for students where they can explore and actively engage with knowledge instead of being given information to memorise. This can be integrated with the concept of viewing children as capable and competent individuals from an early age. As emphasised by the Reggio Emilia approach, schools in Pakistan may utilise the concept while focusing on the learners’ ability to let their curiosity enable them to experiment with their learning environment and discover on their own. This approach would allow the learners to gain some autonomy to decide where their interests lie and the pace at which they want to learn. With minimal intervention from educators, viewing children as capable and competent preserves their individual identities and consequently, adds to the diversity within society. Use of visuals, language, rhythm, rhyme, etc. during activities stimulates the learners’ curiosity. This facilitates the exploration of knowledge on their own instead of having them handed down directly. This reimagined way of learning leaves the children with a feeling of reward when they put in the hard work and take the onus of learning.

Additionally, schools can inculcate 21st century skills in students by getting rid of standardised testing and utilising other forms of checking for understanding such as, project-based learning. Project based learning bridges theory and practice when students are encouraged to think beyond their personal rewards and achievements and get a chance to solve real life problems through projects and activities while shifting the focus from merely ranking students according to their performance to them acquiring and demonstrating critical thinking, team-building, effectively communicating, etc. Since the world is increasingly relying on project based learning, using this approach in schools would intrinsically motivate students from an early age and equip them with the skills they require for succeeding in their personal and professional lives. Ultimately, project-based learning allows students to present their unique innovations with improved skills, receive feedback and grow through constructive criticism.

Another great way of utilising 21st century skills by students is through peer-learning. Peer learning groups promote collaborative learning and team building skills. The teacher becomes a facilitator here and learning is more student-centered. On top of getting to learn from each other, students are able to develop better communication and leadership skills as they present their ideas to their peers and provide them with feedback without any hierarchy existing between them that students might feel around teachers. Peer learning creates a culture where exchange of knowledge becomes seamless since students share varying perspectives with each other, with no teacher to directly moderate their actions, a sense of responsibility makes them adapt to teamwork while sharing ownership. The exposure to each other’s needs in terms of skills, management of emotions, etc. pushes students to be expressive. This practice will ultimately prepare students to coexist in the world that requires them to understand multiple perspectives and engage in discourse.

Finally, schools need to teach students a basic understanding of technology at younger grade levels so that students can adapt to digital learning. During the recent calamities such as, COVID-19 and a series of devastating flooding, a large proportion of the education sector in Pakistan was unprepared due to a range of factors such as, schools’ inability to afford digital devices, lack of access to internet, etc. One major factor that added to this gap was students’ and parents’ inability to use technological tools. According to a report by the World Bank, an estimated 930,000 children were expected to drop out from primary and secondary education during the COVID-19 crisis in Pakistan. One of the reasons noted for this was learners’ and their families’ inability to access instructional programming due to their insufficient understanding of technology. Besides adversities, digital learning has become progressively popular worldwide for students of all ages. Education has gone beyond the walls of schools and universities and is now available at fingertips through digital tools. If schools in Pakistan would pay more attention to students’ basic understanding of technology, they would have equitable chances of amplifying their own learning in the longer run.

Schools should enable students to understand the epistemology of the world and prepare them to take on the real challenges. So, when students enter their classrooms, they embrace their individual experiences and learn, not out of competition but because they need answers and they want to address their own personal and social battles. If we reimagine learning where 21st century skills are used to address 21st century challenges, we can expect a class of diverse students of today becoming our leaders of tomorrow.

Mariam Fatima is an education professional with experience in training teachers of low-fee private schools. She has worked at The Citizens Foundation in a lead role, designing training content and overseeing training-related functions.

Zainab Nasir is a development researcher with background in education and human rights. She works at The Citizens Foundation to ensure that a high quality of training is provided through monitoring and evaluation efforts, to teachers teaching at low-fee private schools.