In this article, Robert Harrison from ACS International Schools, discusses the outcomes of a new report, which focuses on what the purpose of education should be to ensure students leave school future-ready.If we have learned anything in the last five years, it is that the world is changing, and changing fast. New disciplines and previously unimagined job roles are continually emerging and the skillsets and abilities that employers value today, may or may not be valuable tomorrow. As global industries continue to adapt, it is our responsibility, as educators to ensure that education is also keeping up with this change, so that students are prepared to face the challenges of tomorrow’s world.So, we must ask: ‘What is the purpose of education today?’.To help answer this question and better understand the skills and people that will be valued in the future workplace we, at ACS International Schools, collaborated with IBSCA to commission a piece of research – Education for a World of Opportunity – to obtain the opinions of decision makers from British Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) – which account for 99.9 percent of all businesses in the UK – as well as leading global organisations, such as Amazon and Pepsi Lipton.Here is what the data tells us.THE ROLE OF EDUCATIONThe debate about the validity of national curriculums and the role of educations is nothing new, yet has heightened in recent years following the pandemic and in the midst of the climate crisis, wars and political events. The general consensus from the report shows that in order for students to confidently engage with tomorrow’s issues they need a holistic education. Over two-thirds (68 percent) of SME business decision makers surveyed said that they believe the purpose of education is to develop people into decent human beings rather than into efficient workers.Furthermore, skills such as communication (88 percent), open-mindedness (72 percent), an inquiring mind (78 percent), and critical thinking (76 percent) are all ranked by SME decision makers as more important than subject knowledge (69 percent). It can therefore be concluded that employers are looking for students with an education that provides a versatile approach and develops the whole person.SME decision makers were also asked to consider whether it is the role of schools or families to develop students into responsible members of society. While 17 percent said that schools cannot be expected to dedicate valuable teaching and learning time to charitable and community activities, 36 percent believe that charity work should be part of the school curriculum.By developing these core skills, alongside subject knowledge, we can ensure that students are prepared not just for one occupation, but a lifetime of learning and employment. At ACS International Schools, we offer International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes to ensure that our students reap the benefits of a broad, yet balanced curriculum. Each of the four programmes provides an education for our students that is fit for purpose now and into the future.EXPERIENCE OF INTERNATIONAL-MINDEDNESSAlongside the role of education, the research questioned the importance of international-mindedness. The results show that, when recruiting entry-level candidates, 40% of SME decision makers say that a young person’s demonstration of international-mindedness is “important” or “very important”. In an increasingly globalised world, it has never been more important for education to break down geographical boundaries and give students the opportunity to connect globally. By enabling this through the school environment, we are ensuring that young people have the ability to practise positive values and exercise cultural empathy – all while enhancing employment opportunities.RECRUITING PARAMETERSAs the research reveals, having subject knowledge in isolation is no longer enough to thrive in the world of work but how important and valued is it generally? Just a quarter...

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