Dear Financial Voice Reader,
Our schools are in crisis. No, not because of lack of funding. Your children are brewing problems for the future – no, not childhood obesity. But lack of basic practical skills for life. I’ve said it before, we must teach digital skills, online banking, writing emails, networking, how pensions work, basic principles of loans, taxation, investment, savings.
Our schools on the whole have Shakespeare on the menu and that is important because our legislators very much in touch with the needs of inner city problems that a touch of Hamlet can solve.
But actually, you need schools with more remote learning, taught by the best teachers in the world, on demand videos and if the children do not pay attention, the ex-Military Sargent will be able to sort that out.
This way you ensure consistency of quality of education far more than at present. Of course you need teachers but for the things remote video learning cannot do. Why does a State school student in Glasgow not have access to a great teacher from Eton via video courses? The government can pay for the one of costs of creating the courses.
Who decided that Egyptian history is more important than understanding how to use a search engine or the internet. Will there be controversy on what is taught? Sure, but an independent board of the likes of Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and Professors from University and Captains of Industry can thrash out the subject areas.
We would have a more productive work-force, cut costs, improve creativity because children could learn in a modern way and do what they find more interesting because there would be more choice without the expense of more teachers.
And in case you think I am an anti-education barbarian – I am a Visiting Fellow in Business, Oxford University and have degrees in Law and in Politics, Philosophy, Economics. I know education is important. But it is still as it was 200 years ago – with the odd sprinkling of computers.
Don’t believe me? Bill Gates teaches his children through the free Khan Academy. I teach people through my free webinars, not in person in a classroom.
Alpesh
www.trading-champions.com
