THE Philippines is currently caught again in a debate between face-to-face or online classes. Or probably a hybrid mode of teaching that combines tradition and virtual teaching. Sadly, I feel this debate will not resolve the labor mismatch that our country has been facing for years due to an educational system that has always highlighted theories and recognized unapplied information as knowledge to practical skills and knowledge based on the actual application of it.
We are still stuck in a zone and not moving as fast as other countries in seriously institutionalizing what needs to really be done to ensure a knowledge-based economy. Progressive countries have long been creating strategies found to decrease labor-skills mismatch and to scale economic complexity in order to cater to the requirements of their national industries.
My almost twenty years of driving and focusing on innovation gave me the opportunity to visit and observe the innovation ecosystems of ten countries and attend and participated in hundreds of innovation and knowledge development fellowships, seminars, and workshops. I feel so sad that the focus of our debate today is still about the mode of teaching instead of modes of learning. For many years, we have already shown how our educational system has not been at par with other countries even before the pandemic. Time and again, we have seen how our economic complexity is low compared to other countries because the competence and skillsets of our human resources are not aligned with industry requirements.
For the innovators and schools who are already doing this, let's not quarrel. The innovation must be for the whole country, not just a few schools. This call is to put an end to our “to each his or her own” mentality. How I wish I am a national policymaker of this country. In the meantime, I will just share some of the strategies aligned with modes of learning. These are massive open online courses (MOOC), open universities, and quality apprenticeships following other models where industry training is incentivized and subsidized.
In the international level, the term “quality apprenticeships” refers to a unique form of technical vocational education and training, combining on-the-job training and off-the-job learning, which enable learners from all walks of life to acquire the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to carry out a specific occupation. They are regulated and financed by laws and collective agreements and policy decisions arising from social dialogue, and require a written contract that details the respective roles and responsibilities of the apprentice and the employer; and they also provide the apprentice with remuneration and standard social protection coverage
Other modes include industry expert mentorship, coaching, and calibration and industry immersions and work programs, roll out of discipline and skills-based certifications, and tiered or ladderized learning programs.
Very effective ways of learning also include intensive research, publication and commercialization leading to intellectual property registration. The Philippines is one country with many research fellows but we still need to see a significant increase of numbers for Filipino patents and inventions.
Creative ways also include group or learning peer learning and co-learning platforms, hackathons and practical competitions, ideation, rapid prototyping leading to learning Launch, customer validation exhibitions and commercialization.
Instead of classrooms, our education system should create science and technology parks, incubation and innovation laboratories. Instead of debating about face-to-face classes, our educational system should design student and teacher exchange programs.
Leaders should set the course for more jobs, create more strategies to ensure we have a skilled workforce necessary for the demands of Jobs of the Future. Leaders must help create a knowledge economy, where people build products and services of value to the global community. Leaders must empower stakeholders to understand and perform their respective roles in helping create more jobs. We cannot go on aimlessly as a country, feeding on daily national political drama without knowing exactly where we are heading. It is time to go into disruptive education mode.