Students need soft and hard skills to survive

[webfact]

Students need soft and hard skills to survive

By KORNRAWEE PANYASUPPAKUN 
THE NATION 

 

 

Maths, science will help, but right attitude is also needed for a ‘disruptive world’

 

TEACHERS HAVE to help their students develop soft skills, a good personality and the right attitude as disruptive technology is threatening the future of the human workforce. 

 

The government has been promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as it believes these subjects will prepare youngsters for the uncertain future job scene and supply the country with innovators – from pharmaceutical and food scientists, to product designers and software engineers. 

 

This is understandable, as most manual and factory jobs will soon become automated, leaving many Thais without a job. 

 

However, STEM subjects are purely hard skills and only a third of what students need in this destructive world, Silchai Kiatpapan, CEO of Pico (Thailand), explained.

 

He was speaking at a press conference held in Bangkok’s Sukosol Hotel yesterday to announce EDUCA 2018 – a seminar organised by Pico (Thailand) titled “Value of Teachers”, which will focus on the role of teachers in this digital age. The event will be held from October 17 to 19 at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani. 

 

He said the remaining skills of 21st-century citizens was competency and character qualities, such as problem-solving skills, teamwork, communication, grit, social awareness and curiosity. Such skills are also important for life-long learning as new breakthroughs and innovations will start making many skills obsolete. 

 

“These qualities need to be fostered and learnt, and the main actor who can do this is the teacher, not a robot,” he said. 

 

Hard skills are important for entry-level jobs, but soft skills are essential to rise higher and become leaders, Oranuch Lerdsuwankij, CEO and co-founder of Techsauce Media, said, while soft skills are interpersonal skills that are not job-specific and cannot be measured by exams.

 

Soft skills like leadership and collaboration are really important, but more often than not, schools leave them to extra curricular activities, she said. Teachers need to bring soft-skills into the classroom by adopting a project-based approach, one that “gives students a problem and lets them brainstorm for solutions”, she advised. 

 

Thanita Phucanatnaranubala said teachers should not just teach the right skills, but also the right attitude. Thanita, as part of the Teach for Thailand organisation, has taught in many troubled areas in Thailand. She said many students she met have low self-esteem. 

 

“Many tell me they are stupid, that things are beyond their ability,” she said. “But as a teacher, as a human, we must make the students believe in their abilities.” 

 

Funnily though, less than a third of the teachers believe their profession is valued by others, the 2013 Teaching and Learning International Survey in 34 countries shows. 

 

Hence, it is necessary for teachers to first prepare themselves for a disruptive world, before they can inspire their students and get them ready to face an uncertain future. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30355283

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-09-27

[Fex Bluse]

7 minutes ago, webfact said:

skills of 21st-century citizens was competency and character qualities, such as problem-solving skills, teamwork, communication, grit, social awareness and curiosity.

Thais are fairly good at teamwork as it's built into the culture.

 

The others? Well, Thainess and their socialization (I mean, education) has removed curiosity and social awareness from them. Problem solving requires critical thinking which also is forbidden. 

 

Good luck 

[George Bowman]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

He said the remaining skills of 21st-century citizens was competency and character qualities, such as problem-solving skills, teamwork, communication, grit, social awareness and curiosity.

The underlying meaning of Grit has entered into our family’s discussions more than once throughout the years. My Thai wife could be considered a ‘helicopter parent’ which is to say she likes to hover over our daughter and solve any problems that might arise. I’m more of a sink or swim kind of guy.

 

Growing up on a farm, I learned that chickens need grit to help swallow. And in life, people need grit to help swallow what life is thrown at them. A few days ago, our university daughter was on the speaker phone and complaining about something or another and said that she did not deserve this.

 

The chopper pilot wanted to get in the air and I stepped in and quickly shut the engine off. I hate doing a dad’s tirade but sometimes it is necessary. Life ain’t fair; get over it was the main theme.

 

Grit. The breakfast of champions. I may eat two bowls as the helicopter rides have stopped for awhile...

[Fex Bluse]

Grit is anathema to Thainess. 'Maibenrai' and 'sanuk' and 'sabai sabai' are exactly the opposite of grit. 

 

So, are they going to redo the entire culture? Will 'Land of Smiles' become 'Land of Seriousness and Hard Work'? 

 

You cannot eat your cake and have it too

[mikebell]

The inscription on the board is a real motivator.

[Thian]

And the minivan drivers who bring kids to school also have to show them good a drivingstyle or they'll never learn it.

[LazySlipper]

They just need to develop skills cause skills is what is missing.

 

Studying reviewing a lesson and studying before a test... a skill that does not exist in these kids today. 

 

IMHO they have figured out that they are bathed in a "no fail" policy system, so why learn?

 

They act as though their families are rich and they are entitled little brats...

 

"Funnily though, less than a third of the teachers believe their profession is valued by others, the 2013 Teaching and Learning International Survey in 34 countries shows. "

Completely agree with this. Just look at the pittance of a salary offered to both Thai teachers and foreigners.

[thaimelody]

It is so easy to speak of soft skills when the balance of opportunity rests so unequally. Try telling rural kids that they need to nurture their soft skills when the odds of them ever being able to escape poverty are enormously stacked against them. 

 

Rather than looking at how to get these soft skills perhaps a focus on looking how the provision of hard skills is currently set up. So awfully set to the advantage of the urban elite.

 

What is the policy on extra tuition? This whole "study less learn more" silliness places those that need the education in compulsory school most at an even bigger disadvantage when it comes to high-stakes tests.  

 

 

[RichardColeman]

Trying to think if dressing up in the cat costume in the picture is a soft or hard skill

[Srikcir]

7 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

Thais are fairly good at teamwork as it's built into the culture.

But with that culture being feudal in nature, the overall performance of that teamwork is dictated by a graduated authoritarian leadership.

As such, that teamwork cannot provide the necessary inspiration and creative drive for the collective membership to surpass the abilities of the individual team members.

[cmsally]

6 hours ago, mikebell said:

The inscription on the board is a real motivator.

In Thai it is more along the lines of "from your point of view what is listening"

Not really understanding if they are trying to project the same thing.

 

They should really try " how deeply can you question?"

That would put the cat among the pigeons!