Education as a sub-system of society has to draw a fine line between two functions. On the one hand education is a matter of assuring continuity that is, passing on what is known. On the other, it is a matter of fostering creativity and change, that is, propelling learners into the unknown. Both of these functions relate equally to knowledge and attitudes, to understanding and behaviour. They are simultaneously complementary and conflictive. Hence, the functions are always expected to operate in that manner, and they fall back to the very essence of the teaching and learning process. We want creativity, but we want it to emerge from what is known and understood. We want continuity, but we are dismayed when the result is lacking ability to solve problems or devise ways to improve the human condition.

Since education has, fortunately, come to be considered as a human right, the main instrument of delivery of basic education is the school, and the right to education is, with exceptions, perceived as a right to schooling. So the tension between continuity and change is played out in a way in the classroom. Thus it is extended to the need to simultaneously expand access, guarantee uniform quality, and leave room for diversity of results.

1. Global challenges

It is broadly agreed that all of us at country, institutional and individual levels are faced with significant changes in the global environment. These changes are characterised by four challenges presented in detail in the following reading material.

The section on Challenges and Pressures that you read in the above material explain some of these tensions within the educational sector.

Figure 1.3 Challenges and pressures on education

Chapter 1 in the given resource discusses the four challenges in some details. Let us make an attempt to summarise each of these sections.

Challenge 1: The exponential function

Knowledge is being generated very quickly and is growing exponentially. We should be ready to deal with very dramatic technological advances and new discoveries and knowledge in all spheres of life. Effective participation in a modern world influenced so much by technology would require a certain level of scientific and technological understanding. Rapid generation of knowledge will have to be accompanied by growing means by which it is disseminated and communicated through different media. Most developing countries are behind on both generating and disseminating knowledge and without the ability to find the essential knowledge and acquire the skills they will become "disadvantaged" in a very short time.

Challenge 2: The virtuous domain

The virtuous domain constitutes those human aspects characterised by or possessing virtue or moral excellence, righteousness and uprightness. There is a growing consciousness globally about such issues as democracy, citizen empowerment, freedom of communication, culture, civic participation, gender equity, human rights, civil justice, peace, and general quality of life. This is reflected in the global policies such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) of 2000. MDGs are set in terms of reducing poverty, improving health and education, and protecting the environment. Global agencies such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, members of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), have adopted these goals.

Adopting those goals within the virtuous domain poses several challenges which include:

1. Instilling in the minds of citizens at all levels the principles of tolerance, democracy, human rights, responsibility, accountability, and peace-among countries, within countries, and among people.
2. Dealing with massive human suffering due to ravaging diseases, bad health conditions, lack of understanding of health issues, and limited use of health services.
3. Achieving social development, conflict resolution, peace, and better quality of life which are not only formidable, but they belong to a category with which we do not have much experience.

Challenge 3: The moving target

There is now a solid recognition among decision makers and beneficiaries alike that education is crucial for economic development, human welfare, societal advancement, and environmental protection. There is a need to deal with the basic education deficiency gap of millions of children and adults who are deprived of the basic skill to communicate and participate in the social and economic life of the community and the nation. The problem of literacy is not only limited to the poor and marginal groups. There is a need also to cater to the demand of higher levels of education, including further education.

The backlog in meeting the target of ‘basic education for all', coupled with the new demands for education, places a formidable burden on countries.

Challenge 4: The evasive future

There was a time when planning for education and training was a straightforward exercise: manpower planners would map out the needs of different sectors of the economy with reasonable precision, and project the manpower needs. Then it was fairly easy for educational planners to take this "dependable" information and build on it when devising education and training programmes. Everything is changing faster than the life cycle of an education programme.

The world is undergoing significant shifts in its economy characterised by changing patterns of trade and competition and technological innovations. These changes include the following:

1. Producers of tradable goods and services must now operate in a global marketplace. Producers will be more interdependent, more susceptible to external economic shocks, and more vulnerable to international changes in demand for types and quality of products and services. Such conditions also make it hard to predict what skills will be needed in the future.
2. Industrialised countries are moving away from mass production toward high-performance systems, and are compensating for high wages with improved productivity. Production of manufacturing and high-valued services no longer filters down "naturally" from high-income to middle and low-income countries based on labour costs alone. The location of manufacturing and high-value service depends on the producer's ability to control quality and manage flexible information-based systems.
3. As countries become more open to international trade, production will reflect international, not just national, demand. This environment, which will be dominated by private- sector jobs, will place a premium on entrepreneurship, or the ability of individuals to respond to market changes through creating their own businesses.
4. Advancements in ICTs have revolutionised the world economy. Information now can be collected, analysed, and communicated with increasing speed through dramatic innovations in information technology, rapid international communication and transportation capacity, and massive technological connections across national boundaries.

These facts change the rules of the game for economic success:

1. Countries and business firms no longer can rely on a low-wage edge. An industry will have to develop and mature technologically and managerially, and it will need to place greater emphasis on productivity, quality, and flexibility in production.
2. Workers no longer can be trained just once for life. They need to acquire flexible training to cope with the changing nature of their existing tasks and the requirements of new tasks.
3. Learning new skills required by emerging jobs necessitates a solid scientific and technological foundation as well as an array of higher-order cognitive and social skills, such as problem solving, flexibility, agility, resourcefulness, collaboration and teamwork, "how to learn," and entrepreneurship.