What Type of Education We Should Focus On In 2016

The world has evolved so much yet school education is still pretty much teaching the same thing for the last 50 years. We still need the maths, science and language but we also need life skills to live a more interesting life. I have this big idea to start an Institute of Life (IOL). You still go to your regular schools but attend IOL online every month and meet face to face once a year. 

1. Schools prepares you for jobs, IOL prepares you for life
2. Schools asks you what you want to be when your grow up (doctor, engineer, teacher, astronaut, fireman, lawyer), IOL asks what problems you want to solve, what skills you want to use
3. School teaches you how to defend yourself from school bullies, IOL teaches you how to defend yourself from office politics
4. School teaches you hard sciences, IOL teaches you soft skills
5. School organises story telling competition, IOL wants you to tell your personal stories as part of your regular communications
6. School teaches you languages, IOL teaches you body language, how to read what is said and what is not said, how to use photos as a language.
7. School teaches you how to write reports and letters, IOL teaches you how to write interesting status updates on social media and how to blog
8. School asks you to read Shakespeare, IOL asks you read Michael Lewis and Malcolm Gladwell 
9. School teaches you marketing, IOL teaches you personal branding and gets you to reserve your personal .com website
10. School organises sport events, IOL tells you why sitting is bad and gives you tips on how to keep your spine healthy and keep your waist line intact so that you can still dance at a nightclub when you reach 45 without pulling a muscle
11. School may give you so much homework that you have no time for anything else, IOL shares with you time management tips so that have time for everything else
12. School gives you an environment to network in school, IOL introduces like-minded people to you to network online 
13. School gives you assignments, IOL also gives you assignments: assignments to write a long post on Linkedin, to take 5 most interesting photos using camera phone and to talk about your favourite TED talk
14. School gives you exam and see if you pass or fail, IOL trains you to stand up after you fail
15. School may share ideas about work-life balance, IOL preaches work-life integration (managing work and personal life as one)

Have a fantastic 2016!

By Eric Sim , Advisor, Lecturer, Speaker, Writer