The effects of the COVID-induced disruptions to education have yet to be quantified in the intermediate and long term, thus educators struggling to redefine “normal” learning for years to come, as an entire COVID-affected generation, Pre-K through College, matriculates through the educational system.
Additionally, the SAT, an 80 year old admissions requirement, is being summarily dismissed and subsequently, questioned. Students are beginning to challenge the distorted notion that college admissions requirements are commandments sanctioned from high priests and priestesses ensconced in the Ivory Tower of highly sought after colleges for which all candidates for admission must adhere.
Furthermore, as economic opportunities tighten at least in the most immediate years, the value of a college degree as a guarantee of financial prosperity is also being increasingly questioned, especially as legal challenges about paying full price for a virtual education endure. Thus, students may be even less incentivized to submit to the seeming absolute authority of teachers as they no longer fear risking their potential college careers, instead seeking to be more true to themselves.
Perhaps, we’re witnessing the next step in the transition to the knowledge economy, where intellectual development is key, as the prescient management Guru Peter Drucker predicted. And, as many employers are also decrying that college graduates aren’t fully prepared for the rigors of the professional world, perhaps education and employment may become better correlated in the quest for quality.
Furthermore, Gen Z students may be waking up to the reality that, regardless of their consent, they are being charged with the awesome responsibility of ushering humanity through an extremely difficult period in history, requiring a generational confidence that must be forged in collaboration with other warriors for a better tomorrow on college campuses in a time of evolving global pandemic—a tall order indeed.
Educators who first taught and learned from the young in the modern high school classroom, now with 20 years of consulting experience, bring an understanding of the complexity of the modern teenager and the travails of parenting soon-to-be adults regarding their education, when advising families throughout the United States and around the globe. Contact us at Creative Marbles Consultancy.
