Children are our future
In the words of the late great Whitney – We believe that children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way. But are we teaching them well?
Easol founder Mike, a father of two teenagers, often questions the effectiveness of the school system. Observing how creative, energetic children are confined to desk-based learning, he found current education lacking in opportunities for exploration. This inspired him to rethink the importance of play and advocate for an educational model better suited to today's society and children's needs.
History is a good example. Understanding major events matters to not repeat the mistakes from the past, but in a world where AI can recall facts more accurately than any classroom lesson, is teaching five-year-olds about the Great Fire of London really the best use of their curiosity? What would happen if we dedicated more time to helping them imagine, and build, the future?
Simon Squibb, entrepreneur and asker of “What is your dream” has often said we should stop asking children what they want to be when they grow up, and instead ask them “What problem do you want to help solve”
This fundamental question would lead to children identifying problems in the world, creating innovative solutions and provides a focus for subjects and how they are taught.
A recent BBC Bitesize Careers study of 4,000 teenagers found their top jobs were doctor, engineer and teacher. Familiar, respectable roles, but are they chosen out of passion, or simply because they are the careers young people hear about most often? Engineering alone spans mechanical, electrical, chemical, aerospace, computer science and so much more. The more interesting question is: what problems are they hoping to solve through these careers?
Imagine if children considered the needs of others more deeply:
I want to help the elderly stay independent. I want to cure cancer. I want to enhance biodiversity. I want to build computers that can predict extreme weather and stop flooding. I want to uncover the origins of the universe. I want to travel to Mars.
This is where imagination, empathy and education intertwine, where genuine learning begins.
Mike shares a moment that captures this perfectly:
“After my son’s fifth blood draw, he said, ‘Dad, when I grow up, I want to invent a better way to draw blood.’ That’s the imagination we’ve lost.”
So how do we equip children to shape the future with their imagination, creativity and ingenuity?
By teaching problem solving, entrepreneurship, experimentation and creative thinking with the same seriousness we give to memorising historical dates.
Because the world of work is already shifting. Around 39 per cent of UK adults have a side hustle. Among younger generations, it’s 61 per cent of Gen Z and 55 per cent of millennials. Young people enter the workforce and quickly realise they want more autonomy, more creativity and more ownership of their time. Yet school still prepares them for a single, traditional career path, not for a landscape built on initiative, adaptability and opportunity-spotting.
They can tell you when the Titanic sank.
But can they build a life for themselves in a world where creativity, problem-solving and entrepreneurial thinking are essential?
If our children truly are our future, then our education system needs to start treating them as the future shapers they already are.