Are we raising children to merely join the future workforce or are we bringing up compassionate human beings? Doesn’t the world need an amalgamation of both?
A Happy Workforce
How often do you come back from work or finish a full day of work and feel that you haven’t achieved much? How often do you feel dissatisfied with where you are in life? Looking back, do you observe that this has been happening for a while? This is largely because we look at education as the training ground to make us a part of the workforce and we forget that we first need to identify what we enjoy and what we would like to do. There is no one mold that fits all but at this point that is what is being done. There is a need to relook at the way education is treated and implemented. Here are a few steps that could be taken to change the direction without drastically altering the existing systems.
Teach new skills
Children should be allowed to explore as much as possible. Teaching them new skills would help them to experiment and figure out what their passion is, what they like the best. And with the way the world is changing, there is no reason to stop them from pursuing their passion as their profession. It would simply lead to a happier work-life balance and a more satisfactory workday.
Educate to develop the person
Education needs to be aimed towards the overall development of a child. This includes not just the improvement of academic abilities but also the overall psychological development of the child. This establishes the foundation for future professional success and also emotional balance. A person who enjoys his or her work is bound to leave a more satisfying life.
Maintain a balance
Going forward it will be essential for children to maintain a work-life balance. As the boundaries between work and home are now blurred and people continue working way past the work hours, maintaining a balance will be of paramount importance. This balance needs to be established from the start. It is important to teach children that it is not about the number of hours put in, but about how effective these hours were.
In the end, it all bottles down to being happy and enjoying what you do. If a person enjoys their work, they will perform well and give it their best. Therefore, it is imperative to create not just a future workforce, but a happy workforce!
Author: Latika Sakhuja & Sitender Sehrawat
