Wednesday, April 10, 2013

How to Implement a Modern 21st Century Education System Without Spending Billions?


A modern day 21st Century Education system can be delivered to all Australians without spending more money than what is currently allocated within the current education budget.

Image representing Bill Gates as depicted in C...
Bill Gates (via Crunchbase)
In fact, a modern education can be provided for billions less and prove that better services can be delivered by a results driven government that is proactive and knows how to make things happen.

There is no excuse or reason for continuing with our flawed 19th Century Education System when a modern 21st Century one can be implemented immediately, thus saving billions in the process and also providing a better education system.

An essential strategy to implement this educational revolution is by raising billions from Corporate Funding to improve our Education System.

To further reduce the cost of delivering education, the education system should invite more corporate investment and assistance. Ultimately, it is the companies and the government that benefit most from a successful and better education system.

Companies need well trained students to become quality and productive employees. The government also needs citizens that are employed and add value to the society by being productive tax-paying citizens.

Large companies like Google, Apple, Samsung, Facebook and Microsoft amongst others are passionate about being involved in the education system. They may have corporate agendas to push their products; however, if their products are in alignment with the improvement of educational resources, then their involvement should be encouraged.

The suggestion to invite corporate investment and assistance does not lean towards an American model where cash strapped schools turn to Coca Cola, Pepsi or McDonalds for sponsorship and in return sell their products at school. Products such as junk food are not in alignment with the benefit of education or the students.

However, for instance, inviting investment from Apple and facilitating the use of iPad’s can be advantageous. It would save billions in the cost of text books and also prevent students from lugging around heavy backpacks.

The wholesale rates for Mini iPads and other tablets range within $150-$250; therefore the government could either subsidise the entire amount or pass on a percentage to schools and parents.

There are multinational companies and even local employers who would happily donate staff, resources and funding to ensure students are learning real life career skills and are better prepared for employment when they graduate.

Recently Mark Zuckerberg revealed in an interview that every Tuesday he teaches a class at a local school in Palo Alto, California. Similarly, along with Bill Gates, Zuckerberg made a video promoting the importance of coding classes as a school curriculum because it is a skill required in the modern and digitalised world.

In March, Google went on to release a statement saying that schools should start having a digitalised and modern education system as it will help the economy of the country.

Ultimately, it is a win-win relationship because well trained students equal better potential employees.

It also ensures that students are being trained in skills that employers are looking for thus improving job prospects for students and increasing opportunities for better recruitment at a younger age.

NRL and AFL rising stars are often offered scholarships and even payments whilst at school to potentially become a player some day. Therefore such a system should also be encouraged by corporates to offer more scholarships and sponsor rising students.

Just like there is player development at a young age to produce the best sports stars, we can have career development producing rising stars in the corporate world.

After all isn’t one of the outcomes of education to ensure students get gainful employment or start a business?

This leads me to the salient topic of business education.

We need business education taught at a school level to develop and breed future entrepreneurs. Schools should be the hub of innovation where many businesses and apps are created.

Just like the former 17 year old Australian who just sold his business started that he started at age 14 for $28million to Yahoo!, how many more budding talents are present in our society that our schools are not developing or even profiting from?

Why can’t schools help develop and fund some selected start-ups and profit from success of such projects like the large American colleges do?

Business Education is critical to be taught at school. Moreover special business schools need to be created as well.

Students need to know the important of entrepreneurs in society and they should be aware of the fact that there is no society without entrepreneurs.

Our society depends upon success of entrepreneurs because every job and every single tax dollar starts from the entrepreneur’s success.
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