Stay curious
2024-06-24
Due to a quirk of timing, RTÉ broadcasted a documentary of David Puttnam during the Leaving Certificate exams. It's currently available on the RTÉ Player.
In the build up to the broadcast, Mr Puttnam (he retired his Lordship), gave an interview on the Brendan O'Connor show, and he brings up the exams.
Around the 22 minute mark he goes on to education, and says... "I've been a critic", ... "of the Leaving Cert ever since I've been living in Ireland. I think it's a very very blunt instrument and I'm not sure it provides either the kids or society at large here, with the young people we are going to need for the next 20, 30, 40 years. They are going to need to be a different type of human being, almost, with a different set of skills, and a different attitude to the place of work and their roles within society. I don't think the Leaving Cert does any of that. I very much like the opportunity that TY offers, and I think that if we were able to fund TY properly and apply it well, I think it could be an enormous help. But I think that the net result of that would be a rethinking of the Leaving Cert."
Much as we don't really have jobs for life (expect parenthood) "You are going to have to constantly learn and relearn." ... "Every single person is going to have to become a Lifelong Learner, because the nature of what they do , and the technology with which they do it is going to alter 3 or 4 times during their careers."
And he is right. There is the old quote about the kids of today going to apply for jobs that don't exist yet is true. We have no idea how the world is going to change for us, so we have to keep adapting and learning new skills, and apply the experiences we pick up along the way.
In short, we are going to have to stay curious.
