Based on a popular study, quoted by WEF, study shows that more than 65 percent of the primary school kids will end up in a job that doesn’t exist yet. There is no doubt the world is evolving and growing at a much faster speed than any other time in the past. It is evident by the growth of jobs like social media manager, data scientist, growth hacker – jobs which were missing 5 years ago but are some of the most sought after jobs today. While the world around us has changed dynamically, it is unfortunate that our education sector has not kept pace with this rapid transformation. Though the process of studying has developed using technology like a virtual classroom, AR/VR, etc, the depth and breadth of my son’s study curriculum are not very different from what I used to study. While there has been a lot of discussion in the education community about building important 21st-century skill-sets, there is not enough which has really happened on that front. A shift in the mindset of the masses is crucial for a necessary change in the educational ecosystem.
Parents need to start looking beyond marks and help kids cultivate important skills like critical thinking and communication. At the same time, schools need to start emphasizing more on these skill sets. Let the report card talk about other important skills instead of just the subjects. Devote some time specifically during the Parent-Teacher Meetings to discuss these so-called “Softer skills” too. Let there be a specific section on communication in the English language class. And yes, communication is not just about “Letter writing”. It is about choosing the right word to communicate the right intent or idea. As someone who has spent close to a decade working with a leading investment bank in the world, I can tell you that we used to look at marks as only an indicator of seriousness and hard work. Marks have NEVER been an indicator of a person’s intelligence! Hence, all the entrance exams and recruitment tests have a dedicated section on logical reasoning or analytical ability. In fact, this shocking divide on “what we look at in a professional” vs “what we teach in a school to make the kids ready for the professional world” pushed me to jump into the education sector with a purpose to bring about the change. Let’s start introducing kids to critical thinking, both formally in school and informally at home. Let’s give them stuff which makes them think, which makes them exercise their brain and not just rote learn. There is enough research which suggests that puzzles and brain teasers help develop thinking skills and overall intelligence. Whether you believe in these researches or not, one thing is for sure, exercising the brain doesn’t really do any harm. In fact if a child is presented with questions where the difficulty level gradually increases, it is the best way to help develop critical thinking and prepare the child for the world of the future. At LogIQids also, we put a lot of emphasis on personalising the entire critical thinking curriculum, to chart out a unique learning path which is dependent on the child’s unique learning abilities. I think it is high time that both parents and educators come together and join hands in building this essential skill in children.
Besides engaging in brain teasers like puzzles, Sudoku, crossword (or LogIQids) etc, there are several other activities which a parent can do at home to help develop this skill in the child. Something as trivial as planning the schedule for the week or figuring out the most optimal order of cities which one should travel to during a vacation also develops critical thinking. Give the child some real life planning or optimising problem which you are facing, and let the child help you with the solution. Question some obvious things in front of the child and let him or her figure out the answer. Let a child think about an alternate ending to a book. While there are many more things to do, these are some easy to implement tips to help you get started.
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Fatema Agarkar, Founder and Chairperson , Agarkar Centre of Excellence (ACE)
Veteran of 3 educational start-ups , now Founder of the Agarkar Centre of Excellence, Fatema’s passion for teaching-learning and children defines the different roles she has crafted in 20 years – as an edupreneur, educator and mentor.
Fatema who is a State and University topper as part of the prestigious Mumbai based Sydenham College of Commerce & Economics, holds a degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Birmingham (UK), apart from her B.ED and ECCE degrees amassed when she decided education was her calling. Having kick-started her career in the corporate world and working with premier organizations like Commerzbank, Times of India and Egon Zehnder International, she always had an inner urge to bring about an enhancement in the sphere of education..
As an educationist and life-long learner, she has come a long way to intertwine modern methods of learning, teaching and customizing education as per the student’s intellectual requisites thus eradicating stress that stems from the education system. She has been sedulous in making comprehensive alterations in the education field in India. Being a risk-taker, Fatema has been focusing on the generation of innovative educational modules and her in-depth academic know-how, nothing but truly defines her ceaseless passion. Her name is synonymous with successful education models of the country and she is adjudged as Education World’s top 50 Educators in the year 2020. Adding more feathers to her hat, she has also been the recipient of several prestigious awards for her outstanding contribution to the field of education in the years 2013 and 2015.
Fatema has been awarded by Giants Group for her outstanding contribution to the field of education in 2012, the Young Achiever’s Award in the year 2017, Singapore based, Best of Asia’s, ‘Enterprising Educator in the year 2018 and as an entrepreneur ‘Best Edupreneur 2019 and Best Leadership’ by Progressive Academic Excellence India (Maharashtra 2019) and one of the 10th finest inspirational educators in 2019 by TKR, India . Her name is synonymous with successful education models of the country and she is adjudged as Education World’s top 50 Educators in the year 2020. Adding more feathers to her hat With close to 2 decades of experience in education, Fatema is the recipient of several honours including the Indian Achiever’s Award 2021. In July 2023, Fatema was also awarded the ‘Mumbai’s top Women Leader’ award by the CMO Asia National Awards’ (10th edition). Fatema is also a Jury Member for Cambridge School Recognition Awards 2025.
Having being associated with leading high school brands like DRS International, Hyderabad, NSS Hill Spring International, Mumbai, The Gera School, Goa, D Y Patil High School, Talegaon (Pune), SVM, Ratnagiri by the Gadre family, The Excellere World School, Gurgaon, JBCN International Schools, Mumbai, Fatema has now close to 40 pre-schools and high schools that she has set up from the grassroot level including a school for special needs’.
Fatema is on the Advisory Board of several Trusts including EduTech India, Wockhardft Foundation as well as a jury member, Education World Awards, a platform that recognizes the efforts of educators pan India. Fatema is also the Vice President for Early Childhood Association (ECA) and the Mumbai Territory Head for Association for Primary Education & Research (APER) in India. Fatema has been appointed as the global ambassador of the Commonwealth Entrepreneurs Club. . Fatema is on the advisory board of the All-India Gaming Federation (AIGF) and currently appointed as the National Council Member for Financial Literacy & Management by WICCI. Given her access to parents and her ability to provide age appropriate strategies to enable them to make more informed choices, Fatema’s passion remains counselling in the hope that effective parenting will enable children to benefit the most.
Fatema is also the special advisor of the Child Chapter Association (CCA), a non-governmental organisation registered as a Section 8. company under the Companies Act, 2013 whose mission is to spread awareness and eliminate child abuse, including child sexual abuse. Her role as a special advisor of CCA includes providing advice and guidance for their special outreach programs for Schools and teachers that tap into the child psyche and help them raise their voice against abuse. Fatema also played an instrumental role in the development of the CCA comic books and characters for their global campaign for child abuse awareness and prevention.
Currently, Fatema is the Advisor & Mentor to Finland International School, Race Course and on course to start her own school in 2026. As a TedX speaker, and a avid blogger, Fatema is passionate about sharing her knowledge amassed and inspiring stakeholders be it teachers, parents or students.
Her vision includes set up up of Soup Kitchens, Foster Homes and a community centre for the elderly under the Agarkar Foundation in time.
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