More reasons to hang on to defunct education models..

[Don1]

Schools Challenge & CXC sitten tuh di Whirllllll Taxi drivers & trinket sellers of the world...unite!!!


Robots to replace almost half of jobs over next 20 years: expert



Robots and computer programs could almost wipe out human workers in jobs from cooks to truck drivers, a visiting researcher has warned.

Driverless cars and even burger-flipping robots are among the technological advancements gunning for low-skilled jobs across dozens of industries.

University of Oxford Associate Professor in machine learning Michael Osborne has examined the characteristics of 702 occupations in the US, predicting 47 per cent will be overtaken by computers in the next decade or two

[Islandman]

This is key takeaway:

"I think the story here is fairly similar actually that in the end, yes we may see new forms of work generated but it's not clear that the kind of people who are put out of work, which I said ought to be those at the low-skilled end of the spectrum, are necessarily going to be those that move into those new forms of work."

ICT aside, energy and education are two other sectors that are ripe for disruption. Alas, both of these sectors will require mostly skilled workers.

Not a good look for any society still struggling with basic secondary education standards. Even with major investments in those places jobs may be created but will have to be filled by expatriates.

[Willi]

That is why we need to think out of the box.

We should concentrate on hands on skills now and figget doing to much of the 3Rs.

Get basic communication skills and teach the yute how to fix electronics, bake, cut meat, farm effectively, become machinists, fix car electronics, assemble solar installations and all kinds of things that will be useful going forward. Then when we start making ends meet, we implement phase 2 which is eductaion geared at going up the food chain.

We have to get practical now...we have squandered all the social and economic credits the pre-Independce ancestors gave us and we have to bootsrap in a wise way now. There is no short cut, nor any quick turnaround. its time for hard work and a bit of sacrifice. This current generation will NOT be rich (sorry), but they can lay a foundation.

[Don1]

This is key takeaway:



ICT aside, energy and education are two other sectors that are ripe for disruption. Alas, both of these sectors will require mostly skilled workers.

Not a good look for any society still struggling with basic secondary education standards. Even with major investments in those places jobs may be created but will have to be filled by expatriates.

Absolutely correct.

My development paradigm for JA education tracks what evolved out of our (and others) telecom experience.

Just 20 years ago our telecom services were pathetic (akin to where education is today).. very poor fixed line penetration compared with our trading partners, mobile horrible, customer service was the worst....and business outcomes were totally hampered & hamstrung by that

What happened in the past 20 years? Jamaica skipped a whole telecom generation. We virtually abandoned developing a national fixed net which we unsuccessfully fiddled with for 100 years. In a mere 15 years we built a national mobile network that's far more flexible, productive and ubiquitous than ANY fixed network.. Mobile penetration is OVER 100% of the population...i.e. they're MORE mobile lines than people in JA. (although it enables us to indulge in too much useless yappin)

So we avoided the HUGE fixed line legacy costs other countries (USA for example) are saddled with and now have a competitive advantage in telecoms vs many other countries. This was possible BECAUSE we were late in the telecoms development game and took corrective action.

We are similarly late in education development and should take a lesson from the above. We have neither the time nor the money to build out the legacy education shitstem we have. Even if we did fully build out the legacy shitstem...we would still be behind all progressive countries.

We need to de-emphasize the legacy, colonial education structure...and start building an efficient, affordable, rapidly scalable, tech based system with virtual classrooms, internet content delivery and a focus on INDUSTRY certification for Century 21 opportunities.

CXC, CSEC etc...those things are rapidly becoming useless dinosaurs. We spend precious time yappin about those Dinosaur Exam outcomes when we should be focused on more modern & useful paths for our yutes

So what's your future in tomorrow's world JA.... useless Schools Challenge & CXC grades or Robotics Challenge & Microsoft certification???

[Don1]

That is why we need to think out of the box.

We should concentrate on hands on skills now and figget doing to much of the 3Rs.

Get basic communication skills and teach the yute how to fix electronics, bake, cut meat, farm effectively, become machinists, fix car electronics, assemble solar installations and all kinds of things that will be useful going forward. Then when we start making ends meet, we implement phase 2 which is eductaion geared at going up the food chain.

We have to get practical now...we have squandered all the social and economic credits the pre-Independce ancestors gave us and we have to bootsrap in a wise way now. There is no short cut, nor any quick turnaround. its time for hard work and a bit of sacrifice. This current generation will NOT be rich (sorry), but they can lay a foundation.

1000% correct

I cringe when I see people spending oodles of time debating, celebrating or lamenting their school's performance in backward constructs like Schools Challenge. And I'm speaking as a Schools Challenge "graduate".

The fact that this thing that was relevant in the 1960s-1970s is STILL the apex of our education competition is VERY telling. It tells me that we're at least 40 years behind cutting edge.

Time to break the Kill Chain enslaving our yutes and blighting their future

[Willi]

Don, even that is too high-falluting and geared just at the high school market. At best 20% of those in skool age.

We have to have a plan for the other 80% too and whan the US has taught us is that you dont need a mastery formal education to contribute to society disproportionally.

The computer geeks/hackers dont need to master English to become succesful, they just need to be efficient communicatotors. I know one electrical contractor in NYC who cant spell one razz, but is a millionaire, as he knows electrics like the back of his hand and he knows how to run a bizniz.

If you teach yute how to fix old electronics, a godd percentage of them will set up shop later. Same guys who would be setting up tailor and barber shop now. We need to widen ther practical skill base and so boost the economy.

Just with the electonics repair, I can see guys eventually IMPORTING broken electronics and fix and re-export while scrapped the real junk for rare and precious metals. Leave the frontline to Apple and Singapore, while we become the masters of the less attractive/competitive 2nd line, with a view to moving up when our base is established.

Time we employ Strategy and not sTRAGEDY. LoL
Give us vision, lest we perish.

[Don1]

The only point I disagree with is your belief that what I propose is high falutin. This is a belief that many people have and I'm anxious to reduce this. I never propose anything for mass adoption in JA that's super expensive or super complicated... only NEW & DIFFERENT

For example...part of what I'm proposing is basic development of problem solving skills at the earliest level..via everyday off the shelf APPLICATIONS that are proven to deliver results. It's relatively new...but also relatively simple

For example EVERY 5-12 y.o. child can and SHOULD have access in their school to Lego Mindstorm type kits.... such things cost ~$200 (with a bulk buy) and 10 kits can easily serve a basic or primary school population.

If were in the Ed Ministry I would go to Denmark and pitch a partnership with Lego to create the wold's first "Lego Island" in JA... fi mek dem gi wi nuff tings free. Mi guarantee seh nuff tings wudda manifest

Thru Lego programs ...kids will get early exposure to computer apps, gaming, logical/critical thought, construction engineering, programming etc

The aim is to give them exposure to new ways of seeing the world through critical thought processes and also valuable problem solving skills...Not to graduate robotics experts

[Islandman]

I tell you with Raspberry Pi and Arduino type projects thrown in for those who prefer the hacking and making side of things that Willi is referring to, it is even more affordable.

We need about 50 Kimroys in Jamaica.

http://youthlinkjamaica.com/young-ma...botics-mission

I am hoping he can take a scaled down version of the summer camp on the road this year but him so damn busy these days working on his projects, consulting with CXC and what not. Well at least he will bring a fresh perspective to whatever they are doing to revamp their syllabus. Hopefully they will listen.

[Don1]

I tell you with Raspberry Pi and Arduino type projects thrown in for those who prefer the hacking and making side of things that Willi is referring to, it is even more affordable.

We need about 50 Kimroys in Jamaica.

http://youthlinkjamaica.com/young-ma...botics-mission

I am hoping he can take a scaled down version of the summer camp on the road this year but him so damn busy these days working on his projects, consulting with CXC and what not. Well at least he will bring a fresh perspective to whatever they are doing to revamp their syllabus. Hopefully they will listen.

Yep mi rate dat deh yute...In fack im come een kinda like Colour tuh mi

Glad you mentioned those tool sets.. I know of them but I'm not exposed to them so I guess Lego & Tetrix are my defaults

Don't forget IOT...the tools as you know are incredibly inexpensive...like this $20 Spark Photon model set for WiFi apps

BTW...I'm in the early stages of trying to set up a mini software incubator in a space I have in New Kgn. Trying to work out the troublesome people-related details which can overturn everything, so I'll advise re the outcome

[Islandman]

OK sounds interesting. Keep me posted.

[Assasin]

Yep mi rate dat deh yute...In fack im come een kinda like Colour tuh mi

[Don1]

Yep mi rate dat deh yute...In fack im come een kinda like Colour tuh mi

yuhseeit.... highest praise dat

[Islandman]

I remember reading somewhere that when policy makers in India looked at what it would cost to educate the section of their population that is still largely illiterate and unskilled ( the number runs in the hundreds of millions) they quickly realised that the traditional education system was not a practical option.

How many additional campuses would they have to build, how many instructors would they need to meet a traditional classroom-based ratio of 1-25 or so?

India and China could very well lead the way in transforming public education using some of the highly scalable and technology based techniques you have mentioned because they have the most to gain from it.

[Jawge]

The best argument I have seen from you in a very long time.

The idea (key operative) is good.

[Don1]

miseeit