Home ›› 24 Feb 2023 ›› Opinion
In a country, which is blessed with demographic dividend, a challenging task is to meet the expectations of both the youth and the greater society inclusive of families and industries about how the learners would grow and what they would eventually contribute to the world. Here, leadership is a much talked about subject but not well-defined, so people often struggle in presenting themselves during their career life. Some unique ideas may help students in this regard, we know; however, they are either not available always or not properly explored.
Periodicals such as Forbes The Economist, Harvard Business Review, and Foreign Policy provide valuable and timely insights on some of the most important issues facing the contemporary world. These also challenge my own flow of thinking and help me to accumulate newer ideas about leadership.
Spearheading an educational institute, it always remains a part of my conscious efforts to seek fresher methods and ways to help children learn the true meaning of leadership, and to inspire them to follow the philosophy of exemplary leaders to become like them one day.
Schools and school leaders regularly grapple with whether or not their educational institutions are adequately preparing their students for the jobs of the future. Traditional degree programs and career paths are likely to change significantly in the coming years; hence schools must also adapt themselves to stay relevant and produce competitive graduates. I mention this wave of transformation here because I feel that somewhere down the line, it is connected to my opting for a stronger and more capable pipeline of leaders for the future.
As we consider two of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Learner Profile attributes, Thinkers and Communicators, I recalled a Forbes article from August that outlined the skills modern employers are looking for. The Forbes Coaches Council article, titled “15 Skills Employers Seek in 2022”, details the need for empathetic listening, skill in modern communication, critical thinking, public speaking, and the ability to analyses data.
The IB’s emphasis on such skills is tremendous preparation for life after grade 12, as these attributes are flexible and adaptable to all careers and situations. At the same time, it denotes qualities that are likely to remain in demand for a significantly long period, preparing students for jobs we may not yet know or have imagined.
An inquiry-based approach to learning, combined with student voice and choice in their education, enables students to engage with the world around them with a variety of perspectives and a broader skillset to tackle challenges. This perspective is then even refined by aptitudes mentioned in the Forbes article.
Empathetic Listening; Agility, Flexibility, and Adaptability; Modern Communication; Emotional Intelligence; Creative Thinking; Networking; Data Analysis; Objective Self-Recognition; Critical Thinking; Hybrid/Remote Teamworking skills; Public Speaking; Vulnerability and Authenticity; Remote Team Management; Enthusiasm and Experience in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives – these 15 qualities are now expected to be in demand by the top originations in the market. These are the very qualities that IB aims to instill within the students through the ten Learner Profile attributes.
Students who demonstrate IB Learner Profile attributes are typically highly successful academically and based on what employers are looking for in future graduates, these same students are likely to carry that edge into their future. Bangladesh can benefit from a generation of graduates who would possess such attributes.
The writer is Secondary Principal, International School Dhaka (ISD)
