Obviously, teachers cannot be prepared for these unfolding challenges through training alone. One-off training, no matter how effective and successful, will not suffice. A new paradigm must emerge that replaces training with life-long professional preparedness and development of teachers, along the following continuum:

a. Initial preparation/training

This provides teachers with a solid foundation of knowledge; proficiency in pedagogical, social, and organisation skills; deep understanding of the teaching/learning policies and materials they will be dealing with; and broad familiarity with sources of educational materials and support. It is equally crucial that candidates have a sophisticated grasp of the continuous exploration, assessment, and acquisition of new knowledge and competencies, according to future demands.

b. Structured opportunities for retraining, upgrading, and acquisition of new knowledge and skills.

Many professions have such requirements to renew certification for practice. It is only logical for the critical profession of teaching to demand recertification every two or three years based on evidence of professional upgrading, and it is equally imperative for education authorities to ensure that opportunities and facilities for such upgrading are provided systematically.

c. Continuous support

This is to help teachers as they tackle their day-to-day responsibilities.

We discussed six far-reaching implications which caused formidable challenges for educational planners, strategists and practitioners.

On one hand, there is great uncertainty about the labour market, an explosion of new knowledge and new demands on education in both traditional and unchartered territories.

On the other is the need to provide holistic education including the entire spectrum of education services to everyone, anywhere, anytime with a focus on learning acquisition and teacher empowerment-all under conditions of an ever-expanding base of education clientele and limited physical and human resources.

The following section of this sub-unit will consider the potential of technology for dealing with these pressures on education.