Shaping the future of education

“EDUCATION is the key to our future…That means that our youth need an education that provides them with the problem-solving ability, resourcefulness, creativity, and critical thinking to confront these problems.” This was the perspective shared by distinguished professor Pedro Antonio Noguera, guest speaker, who delivered an informative and inspiring lecture on the evolving educational landscape in the wake of the global pandemic.

Prof Noguera addressed the audience as The University of the West (The UWI) St Augustine Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), in collaboration with Guardian Life of the Caribbean, hosted the 2023 UWI/Guardian Life Premium Open Lecture, on September 29, at Daaga Auditorium, The UWI St Augustine Campus.

The deputy campus principal Prof Indar Ramnarine led the discourse by highlighting the numerous challenges posed by the transition to remote teaching, including the isolation and marginalisation of students without access to technology and the emergence of mental health issues. He explained how the university responded with technology training, counselling, and psychological support and by addressing the digital divide by providing devices.

With a background in sociology, Prof Noguera’s research explored, extensively, the influence of social and economic conditions, as well as demographic trends, on the educational system at local, regional, and global levels. He also noted, “When we looked at the students who were not thriving in our schools, we always saw that basic needs were not being met. To redefine success, we needed a strategy for addressing those needs. If we wanted to see more young people enter adulthood equipped with the skills to support themselves, their families, and contribute to their communities and societies, they needed a different kind of education.”

In that regard, Prof Noguera strongly believes that universities must be the engines of innovation and creativity and highlighted the need for transformative education by asking, “What’s keeping our schools from being places that offer our students the ability to imagine new possibilities?” He proposed various educational concepts such as:

• A Beryl McBurnie school of the arts in Woodbrook that builds on the culture, captures the imagination of young people and inspires them to dream.

• The Naipaul-Lovelace school of creative writing at Tranquillity Government Secondary School to hone young people’s expressive skills.

• An ecotourism school in Tobago’s nature reserve to address environmental concerns and adapt to climate change and a school of marine biology in Bucco.

• A school focused on telecommunications and a school of wellness and health in Mt Hope.

Prof Noguera’s position was clear—for students to be future-oriented, education must address upcoming challenges. Students shouldn’t merely learn about the present but should be encouraged to imagine and shape the future. Therefore, schools and universities should foster innovation from the start, rather than waiting for graduation to expect creativity.

Echoing the sentiments expressed, Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly indicated, “Our educational landscape is evolving, the needs of our students, our young citizens, the needs of the nation and the region are changing, and we collectively must transform along with it. We must redefine and rethink our paradigms.”

The UWI /Guardian Life of the Caribbean Limited partnership began well over two decades ago with The UWI Guardian of Life Premium Teaching Awards which has now become The UWI /Guardian Life Premium Open Lecture. Emphasising the uniqueness of the lecture series, Gregg Mannette, head of sales, stressed that “internationally renowned educators are sourced to share their insight and expertise and this year is no exception.” The selected educators “embrace technology, reimagine their teaching methods and, in doing so, have opened the door to a new era of educational opportunities,” he added.

Overall, The UWI/Guardian Life Premium Open Lecture successfully united diverse stakeholders invested in the future of education. In closing, the two purposes of education as shared by Prof Noguera were the key takeaways. He advanced that students must be integrated and mobilised with the knowledge and skills needed to participate in society and support themselves and their families. He also added that change and innovation were necessary to provide the next generation of children with the problem-solving and creative mindset to solve problems confronting society.

The lecture provided a unique opportunity for educators, administrators, policymakers, and society, at large, to delve into vital discussions surrounding the need to adapt and innovate, the event shed light on the challenges faced by educational institutions and explored the array of opportunities emerging from the new normal.

• The open lecture is available for viewing on The UWI St Augustine Campus YouTube Channel: