Teach our children to innovate, urges SRC boss

PROFESSOR Ronald Young, chairman of the Scientific Research Council (SRC) and pro-vice chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI), has called for changes in the education system that promote innovation among students, as a path to securing Jamaica's future development.

Speaking recently at the SRC's public forum "Innovate or Die", Young suggested that a significant factor in a nation's competitiveness is the development of a mindset of innovation among the population, and that this must occur as part of the education process in the schools.


"We start our lives with enormous curiosity, enormous resourcefulness, and with a drive toward innovation. Then, we teach our children answers to questions they have never asked," he said, making the point that Jamaican schools seem to be educating the natural innovative streak out of Jamaican children rather than encouraging that characteristic.

"We do not teach them how to ask questions, how to identify problems and how to find workable, logical solutions to problems. We must teach them to take risks; not be afraid of failure, but to learn from it and do what seems logical even if no one has done it before," he added.

The educator argued that changes in teaching methods and the integration of technology at all academic levels could promote the creativity needed to develop a cadre of business leaders who think outside the box.
Young agreed that initiatives such as Flow's Building Leaders Through Technology programme lays the groundwork for changing teaching methods and challenging students. At the same time, he noted that the earlier students are exposed to technology, the more they will embrace innovation.

Flow, Jamaica's triple-play service provider, introduced the Building Leaders Through Technology initiative in 2006 to enable teachers and their students to embrace technology in education. Through the Building Leaders programme, Flow has provided more than 100 primary and secondary schools with free Internet and cable service, thereby enabling students, teachers as well as parents and community groups to enjoy the real benefits and value of technology as part of the learning process.

Dr Chadwick Anderson, executive director of the SRC, agreed that access to technology is an important part of the education process. He, too, hailed Flow's Building Leaders programme as an important step in bridging the digital divide.

In addition to its support of activities such as the "Innovate or Die" public forum, Flow is involved in several other initiatives aimed at promoting the use of technology as a part of the education process. The broadband service provider also participated in the Ministry of Education's EduVision 2012 at the Jamaica Conference Centre.


Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/career/Teach-our-children-to-innovate--urges-SRC-boss_10331237#ixzz1hpL6ydg1