How & Why I’m Re-evaluating ‘School’ as a Tech-Savvy Parent
Lately, the sci-fi that I read daily has become less and less futuristic. AI is growing so quickly that it’s getting harder and harder to feel confident in my investments and expectations for next year and beyond.
In this piece, I explore education from that position; I do my best to shake out the parts of ‘school’ which deserve a place in our children’s lives, and think about how we can supplement traditional education in a time of bewildering change.
Education in the UK: an Origin Story
Like so many aspects of society, it’s hard to look at today’s approach to education without zooming out and understanding where it came from.
Our education system still carries DNA from the Prussian model: n
- Compulsory education: The Prussian system’s implementation of compulsory attendance was influential, leading to legislation like the Elementary Education Act of 1870 in England and Wales and a similar 1872 Act for Scotland.
- Standardization and discipline: The Prussian model’s emphasis on a standardized curriculum, a rigid schedule with bells, and strict discipline was adopted to create a compliant workforce for industrialization.
- Teacher training: The Prussian system highlighted the importance of teacher training and certification, a principle that was also adopted in the UK.
- State control: The UK’s move towards a national system of education, supported by state funding, was influenced by the Prussian model of centralized state control over education.
… though of course, in many other ways the system has been improved, with the removal of corporal punishment, and some work towards supporting neurodiversity and learning disabilities.
The key goal of the Prussian system was to create compliant citizens, soldiers, and workers through a standardized curriculum, compulsory attendance, and a hierarchical structure that taught acceptance of top-down decision-making.
Technology has Changed Us, but Left Education Behind
Since the inception of these nation-building school systems, much has changed in the world. So much so that I couldn’t list all of the key changes here if I tried. To mention a few:
- In 1800, it’s estimated there were 30 to 40 independent political entities (nation states), today, there are 195 recognized sovereign countries
- Mass production
- International travel and streamlined shipping
- The internet
- Mobile devices
- Incredibly more computing power
- Cryptocurrency
- Global pandemics
- Global climate change
- The rapid development of LLMs and ML/AI
Now I know there are many talented and hardworking people working in Western educational institutes, doing incredible jobs from within, but much of the original structure remains, for better or for worse. n
Personally, I would argue that a redesign of schooling in the UK would have been useful 10 years ago; would be a very valid project today; but will be essential in the next 10 years. n
We’ve muddled through, adapting our educational system slightly to allow for the internet, for the multi-cultural realities of a more global society. Now it’s common to see iPads and interactive whiteboards, but we’re on the cusp of much more change.
n
When Technological and Political Changes Outpace Our Education System
When trends explode in seconds, not days, it’s no longer enough to teach the new version of Microsoft Word to our kids.
KPop Demon Hunters received over 325 million views in 91 days, making it the most-watched title ever on Netflix. 3x’ing the previously most watched of all time in 3 months.
… This may seem an irrelevant pop reference, but if we use it to think about the speed of the information we all consume and create today vs even a decade ago, it’s clear the tech has outstripped our cultural growth. n
- Trends can spread more easily via digital channels (messengers, social networks, etc.)
- Trends are more tracked and reported than ever (leading to growth loops)
- Video is a high-bandwidth information transfer vs schoolbooks
- Virality carries messages to millions of people in seconds or minutes, opening up the soapbox to a wide variety of humans
Fundamentally, kids are learning machines. Their sponge heads seek out information that will enrich their lives or improve their chance of survival.
If we continue to rehash or minorly update national curricula, the youth of today are going to find much higher bandwidth ways of learning things; in fact, I’d argue they already are.
Which way would you rather learn? Maths from a teacher who’s resource-limited and ran ragged by a class of 32, or the history of the architecture of the pyramids in a video made by a world-leading archeologist (which inadvertently teaches maths, physics, history). The latter is free, and more readily accessible when the child is in the frame of mind to learn and available completely at their own pace.
See: Ken Robinson – Do schools kill creativity?
In many ways, the old school systems are going to need redesigning if they’re to succeed in an age where survival information will now need to include:
- Nutritional awareness – in a world of ultraprocessed foods, survival needs savvy food knowledge
- Finance skill – we’ve gone far beyond basic bank accounts; even beyond derivatives. Kids born today are going to need to transact crypto and understand a world financial system which is staggeringly complex
- Online social skills – a lot of kids already live online (for better or for worse), and it’s leading to reduced rates of relationships, IRL social interaction, and exposure to a far wider range of content
- Neurodiversity – increased awareness that much of society is made up by a variety of neuro configurations
Likely, some good schools are embracing these new needs and teaching children ways of approaching modern life with self-awareness.
In other instances, kids are surely exploring these new realms via their own online and social adventures.
‘Edtech’ (Education technology) is otherwise stepping up to fill the gap. Tools like Jenny.ai and Strew have seen massive growth from simply using technology to deliver on this unmet need.
What Can We Do as Parents of Kids that Will Grow Up in this AI Age?
To my mind, kids need socialization, digital fluency, and discernment, not tech bans. The real advantage will belong to those who learn how to collaborate with AI, not those shielded from it.
- Online resources and EdTech are improving at lightspeed. Future-equipped kids need to understand tech, for better or worse
- AI is here to stay. Learning when and how to use it is a superpower. Unfettered use is dangerous; it’s still evolving
- Survival skills in 2025 – ‘Food’ has never been less safe. Ultraprocessed food-like substances are everywhere, and the companies selling them have very clever marketing people. Learning what’s good for your body is the difference between a life of illness and a life of empowered action. The same goes for finance and economics
So…how, practically, does that look? What am I proposing?
Home Educating in The Age of AI
Some of the aforementioned forces have contributed to an explosion in home education (roughly tailored by Edtech). I think this shows that we’re all becoming a bit more aware that school has its pros and cons.
==>> Frustrated parents of neurodiverse children struggle to get schools to support their kids’ needs.==
==>> Children are coming home and reciting what they’ve learned, and parents are shaking their heads with worry.==
==>> Schools in the UK are taking parents to court for absenteeism.==
…But I’m not at all saying that all kids should be home educated. In fact, I think there are multiple approaches to raising capable humans; as many approaches as there are neurological, financial, and geographical differences between us.
The art is seeing education as a configuration designed to produce a capable, compassionate, healthy human, which may mean letting go of the societal norms, or flexing around them somewhat.
- If a parent is capable, resourced, and willing, home education can be a fantastic way to allow a child to grow into their full true self. By attending home ed activities and groups, getting out in the world, and socialising, is taken care of inherently.
- Part-time school is an option in the UK – allowing you to walk a line between the default approach and your own home education style
- Traditional school still teaches some valuable skills – at home, you can supplement and steer aspects of their learning by strewing or supporting hobbies
In summary, I urge parents to challenge their own ideas of learning, the system, and to educate themselves about the new world that crests over the horizon. New technology and shifting economic realities are going to present unforeseen challenges to our children; it’s up to us to equip them with the skills they need to survive and prosper.
