AI will not nullify our role; instead, it will empower our capabilities and expertise, playing a more influential role in expanding the scope of creativity for future generations. Recently, at the Pearson Edexcel-organized Pearson Education Annual Summit in The Westin Dhaka, these remarks were made by Hilbery Valukar, the Founding Headmaster of Heilberry Bear School. The heads and executives of all Pearson schools in Dhaka were also present at the summit. They provided significant statements on the future direction of the education sector.
The theme “Innovation in Education for a Changing World” was discussed by experts at the summit, focusing on the impact of digitization on the educational environment, the influence of technology advancement, and how best practices are followed in schools worldwide. They discussed the future of students in this changing environment. The summit featured key speeches from Pearson’s Employability and Qualifications Director Premila Porraj and British Council Bangladesh’s Country Exams Director Maxim Raymond.
Simon O’Grady said during the panel discussion, “Current educational methods mostly work within a broad framework and emphasize general skills development for students. However, in this rapidly changing time, we must focus on individualization (personalization) in evaluating our students and provide them with more specific training; in addition, planning for their personal development is necessary.” He discussed the impact of AI, jobs, education, and democracy in line with Thomas Kuhn’s analysis, ‘The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.’
He further stated, “In this era of change, AI has come with significant changes in our engagement with machines in terms of education, workplace, and politics. AI has provided us with the opportunity to understand the potential of children; we can know about them from a young age and encourage their potential and creativity, allowing our children to excel in their preferred fields of work.”
David Alban, Director of Pearson Pearson School Qualifications, was also present as the chief guest at the summit. He also discussed the potential of digitization in the education sector. He said that in a changing world, digital technology is rapidly accelerating the educational system. Digital technology will play a supportive role in the development of student’s skills, reaching the highest level of development through training. In this regard, the use of AI-based tools should be cautious to remain free from the adverse effects of its misuse, especially in the education sector, where everyone involved should be vigilant.
