INNOVATIVE TEACHING PRACTICES
The world has changed: has education kept up?
continue to evolve, and the pace of change shows no sign of slowing.
Yet step into many classrooms today and most of the structure remains the same as it was twenty years ago. Children are still grouped by age and taught largely the same curriculum. That isn’t a criticism of teachers, who work incredibly hard within the constraints of the system. But it does raise an important question – if the world children are entering looks fundamentally different from the one many education systems were designed for, shouldn’t education be evolving with it?
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Parents increasingly seem to think so. According to the GoStudent Future of Education Report, 62% of UK parents believe traditional assessments are no longer enough, 59% support schools using AI to enhance learning, and more than half would like schools to teach modern skills such as AI and cybersecurity.
ducation Today hears from Mike Lambert, Global Education Director at Inspired Education Group.
In over two decades working in education, I’ve witnessed enormous change in the world beyond the school gates. Technology has transformed how we live and work. Entire industries have emerged, while others have disappeared. The skills employers value
These expectations are increasingly being reflected in national policy discussions, too. Andy Burnham’s recently announced education reforms place greater emphasis on technical skills and preparing young people for the world of work, recognising that traditional qualifications may not be enough anymore. That shift is important. The question is not whether academic development remains important, it absolutely does. It is whether
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we can better connect knowledge with application.
However, while much of the debate currently focuses on what happens at 14 and beyond, I would argue we need to start much earlier. If we want young people to thrive in today’s world, we need to lay the foundations from the very beginning of a child’s education.
Moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach
The challenge is that children do not all learn in the same way or at the same pace. Some grasp concepts quickly and are held back by fixed pacing, others need more time and support before moving on. Yet both groups are expected to follow the same timetable. A future-ready education system should be designed around the needs of individual children rather than the constraints of the traditional model. That means giving teachers greater flexibility to respond to different learning needs.
Just as importantly, education can no longer be about acquiring knowledge alone. Young people increasingly need skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving, enabling them to apply knowledge with confidence.
The most effective schools of the future will strike that balance – maintaining high academic standards while creating more
September 2026
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