This is the near Future. It was already, but now it’s impossible to deny it. This is what we expect, despite the slowdown of Europe to protect jobs.
Europe will certainly now have a great opportunity to rethink its entire model and be more original, less dependent on other systems that later pledge our autonomy.
We can robotize a lot of businesses like industries, but robotize a school it seems to me impossible, because Education is also human and it must continue to be humanized. Human identity must be maintained. This is where Europe can be creative and original. Even Asians seek Europe because we are different. They learn with us and we must learn with them. We do have defects, like any other people, but we defend diversity, the pluralism of ideas, the humanization of work. I'm not really talking about Politics, I'm talking about a unique characteristic in the world that is ours and we must preserve it, even if we have to improve in other things, such as trying to be more disciplined.
Some services cannot be robotized, but they can be 100% digitalized or at least 80% of their total activitivy. That’s possible and it will be the near future, otherwise we will be lagging compared to other countries like China, for example.
With this pandemic, it is now clear that there is no turning back from this reality: teleworking, digitalization. In addition, the entire organizational system will have to follow this inevitable trend. New functions will appear and will have to be updated in this digital, technological era, essentially at the level of the Law, because the legislation will have to be updated worldwide in this sense. There is no turning back. This Legal issue is essential and a priority.
Here the Best Professionals in the area will be chosen to work. For this reason, companies will have more social responsibility and will treat their employees much better. There will be less job offers, it is a fact. But they will also choose the best and this is beneficial for society, because productivity will improve and benefit the economy. It will be possible, from the outset, to better coordinate professional and personal life, to have less costs in the medium to long term. That is the good part of the question. Obviously, there will have to be more control over emigration as a result of this change. It is not a ban on emigration, it is a control of intellectual emigration, also now virtual. But I insist again, this is inevitable. This is not racism, xenophobia. That we leave to the malicious Media that, in this case, it does not matter anything for this cause. It is a question of survival that each nation will have to manage in the best possible way.
But not everything is positive.
Once everything is integrated, there will also be new psychological problems to deal with, such as the so-called “technostress”, the dark side of teleworking, the lack of creativity in the face of the standardization of information and documentation, as well as the security and protection of workers' personal data, as well as protecting the secrets of the companies themselves. Cybercrimes exist and will continue to exist. If, in the past, tests and exams in their classic form could be carried out, now it is also necessary to recognize that this reality will not cease to exist. On the contrary. Unfortunately, espionage is here to stay, and will continue to exist, plagiarism of models and systems as well.
I've been doing a lot of research in this area. I have to tell you that it is a giant challenge at a time so difficult that we are going through. But it is also exciting, urgent and of enormous responsibility that gives me immense pleasure.
New projects for managerial integration systems will appear and are being worked on.
However, we must not forget that:
AI still does not replace man in its essence. I think that this should continue, despite all the technological developments, otherwise we will stop being human and become something very strange that I still can't even get the exact term to define it. We should always find hybrid ways to maintain both teleworking and face-to-face work, even in Education.
Where can we be different and original? In the lead. What leaders do we need then in the future? Let's stop being Heads and be true Leaders.
Nevertheless, going back to the digitalization of schools, what is possible to do? A lot is already implemented, but in general there is still a lot to work on. In Education from the diagnosis stage, to program planning, attracting students / clients, hiring teachers (wherever they are in the world), design and implementation, development, evaluation, certification and progression. All of these phases can be digitized, successfully controlled. Everything can be monitored digitally.
Each school will have to choose its educational and pedagogical model: either at a distance of 100% or hybrid, whether in a classic way for a more elitist and conservative clientele, in coworking collaborators... The model does not matter as long as it is consistent with its target audience, its know-how, its history and even its wealth of human resources. The physical part of a school may become important or not, using this model to be implemented. This could be secondary. What is a priority here is productivity and how to guarantee quality in a remote model.
Digital educational models can be great, as long as they guarantee quality and productivity. This also implies a change in mentalities. It also implies an initial investment in relevant technology, the formation of its Human Capital. Along with an updated human leader of an Institution, the system will have to be itself a kind of technological leader that allows its use in a simplified but efficient and creative way. New teams will have to be formed. Information updated constantly. From a to z everything will be adapted.
Governments should now be engaged in creating programs to support institutions in this area.
There are many positive things to see in the digital future of Education and work in general.
Let's see at least 3 blasts, obvious:
. technology can help to end, or at least minimize, some pathological social problems that have been installing in our society, such as the rural exodus. If people can study most of their time in their comfort zone, they will no longer have to go to big cities; This is called regionalization;
. The so-called “rush hour” may end; It is also more environmentally friendly;
. There will be less social problems of gatherings because people will be more dispersed and focused on their training and work, their future and their families or personal relationships ...
When I say less gathering of people, it does not mean isolation or removal of people. I am talking about alternatives and ways to be less consumerist, less dependent on each other and therefore be more autonomous and thus value human life more. It can be a great opportunity to Europe and the world.
I believe in these models and I think they are an asset for the new generations. This can be definitely a New Age - the Age of Leadership.
Contrary to the panic that this pandemic has generated and still generates in many minds, I deeply believe in how good it will be, not in the short term, but in the medium to long term, if it is done with conscientious leaders, ambitious in the good sense of the word and with more open minds, visionaries, with their feet firmly on the ground. Let them not think of their own navel.
If so, it will be an Age of Success. It may take time, but it is possible. Now, more than never.
And do not tell me that this is not attractive, because it would lead me to think that then our vision is dull and we are no longer able to see further.