Article II: FRC - Resilient Flexibility
By Shawn L. Dilly, PhD, Director General of Emirates National Schools
664 words - 2 mins read
In the previous article, I shared some of the challenges facing education worldwide and proposed part of the solution to them by introducing the future-ready competencies (FRCs). The FRCs are the skills, knowledge, and aptitudes predicted as the most vital for students to possess to succeed through to the end of this decade and beyond. The FRCs have been crafted from research and work with economic development organizations, higher education institutions, and business and industry leaders, and have been grouped into 12 categories.
The first category involves the development of agility, adaptability, cognitive flexibility, and resilience. The first three of these qualities are similar and correspond to one’s ability to respond to events and changing situations, and to adjust or switch between multiple tasks to react to unpredictable circumstances. Resilience is the ability to cope with these uncertainties and the associated stressors, and the capacity to protect yourself from their negative implications emotionally. The combination of these attributes can be termed resilient flexibility.
So why is resilient flexibility deemed necessary for the future? In the evolving economic landscape, the erosion of job security, growing political instability, expanding inequality, globalization, urbanization, and technological change are just some of the uncertainties young people will need to navigate if they are to thrive. Today’s youth require schools to prepare them for these new hardships.
Let us consider the erosion of job security. The job market is shifting away from traditional long-term employee/employer relationships. Instead, we see a rise in short-term and contractual work, often called the gig economy. The uncertainty of securing these short-term employment opportunities will test the resilience of many young people. They will be forced to traverse the ambiguity surrounding job acquisition, job loss, and upskilling/reskilling multiple times throughout their career. Some experts and governments predict that young people will have 15-20 jobs in a lifetime, while others suggest even higher estimates. Therefore, it is safe to say that students must be prepared to be lifelong learners, with the resilient flexibility to circumnavigate the emotional rollercoaster that employment is likely to involve.
Students’ resilient flexibility will be tested further by other economic forces. Consider the influence of political instability. Most recently, we have seen how the war in Ukraine has had a worldwide impact. It has demonstrated the interwoven connection between markets, and how such events can directly impact the cost of living, job security, shifting markets, and take place many thousands of kilometres away. In other words, students must handle the repercussions of political instability no matter where they occur in the world. Regrettably, predictions indicate that these instances will intensify as resources become scarcer.
Environmental sustainability is becoming a growing hurdle for the planet. As the global population continues to increase, young people will face many new challenges to solve. These difficulties will require innovative solutions involving young people cooperating, interacting, and working with increasingly diverse demographics from around the world.
All these evolving forces require schools to provide opportunities for students to acquire the skills, knowledge, and aptitudes necessary to navigate these mounting challenges. Unfortunately, many schools remain focused on math and English proficiency exams. These high-stakes tests are limited in scope and do not align with the true determinants of a student’s future success. Governments and educational institutions must adapt their accountability models to meet these evolving demands. Many schools recognize the need for change but are hindered by systemic barriers focusing and measuring them on the wrong targets. These well-intended practices have only pushed schools further away from the needed preparation. The future of education will require schools, government, businesses, and industry to work closely together to bridge the rift between current preparation targets and those needed for future preparedness.
In the next article, I will share more about another FRC – critical analysis, which involves students mastering a combination of critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills. Demand for these skills will continue to rise as the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity surrounding the future grows.