“Year 11 and 12 is far too outcome-based and I can say that from perspective,” she said. The young scientist said the schooling system judges students on how well they can memorise a formula or definition and apply that to a specific example — over and over.

In a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), it discusses the results of a study that explores how to best prepare primary and secondary school (referred to in this report as “K-12”) students for the 21st century workplace (“the modern workplace”), where a mix of hard and soft skills are crucial for success. The research, sponsored by Google for Education, draws on a survey of 1,200 educators in 16 countries.1 It looks at the strategies most effective in developing 21st century skills and how technology can support such efforts. By focusing on successful implementation of key strategies from the perspective of K-12 educators, this research builds upon a 2015 EIU study, Driving the skills agenda: Preparing students for the future.