Skill crisis or school crisis?

The new world of work and skills needs a radical rethink of school education

Nelson Mandela said, “Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made, and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.” The most sustainable action for poverty is education in its broadest sense; K-12 schools, universities, and skills. Much has been written about India’s skills and jobs crisis but with recent progress in job formalisation, green shoots in higher education reform, and a dedicated Ministry of Skills, we’d like to make the case that in a few years India’s binding constraint will shift from the lack of trained workers to the lack of trainable