Committee to address ‘future intelligence’ in education

MOFET Institute will create practical plan for school systems.

By LIDAR GRAVÉ-LAZI
Petah Tikva school 370 (photo credit: Courtesy )
Petah Tikva school 370
(photo credit: Courtesy )
Education in a renewing world - Future Intelligence, a committee comprised of education and futurology experts convened on Sunday for their first meeting, with the guest participation of chairman of the Education, Culture and Sports Committee MK Amram Mitzna.
This committee has been tasked with addressing the issue of evolution in education in light of constant breakthroughs in technology, medicine and the humanities that are achieved every day.
The think tank was established by the MOFET Institute – an Education Ministry funded, non-profit organization that works on research and development of programs in teacher education. The committee is headed by retired judge Shlomo Shoham, former head of the Knesset Commission for Future Generations and founder of the Sustainable Global Leadership Academy (SGLA).
“The educational system must first determine what kind of future for education in Israel it seeks to create, as part of developing a new curricula”, said Shoham on Sunday.
The committee was tasked with formulating a practical plan for the implementation of “future intelligence” into the educational system and will present its findings to Education Minister Shai Piron.
The committee’s plan will draw upon the experience and contributions of each of the 10-12 team members, on the doctrines of the SGLA and on the principles of Shoham’s book, “Future Intelligence,” which calls upon the leaders and decision-makers to cast aside short-term goals and political survival tactics and adopt a long term vision to better the future of humanity.
Among the team members are: Prof. Alean Al-Krenawi, president of Achva Academic College; Prof. Zipi Libman, president of the Kibbutzim College of Education; futurologist Prof. David Passig, Prof. Ran Margolin; former Welfare minister Zevulun Orlev, former Arab-Israeli MK Nadia Hilou; rabbis Yuval Cherlow and Yehezkel Fogel, Moshe Horev, CEO of Oracle Israel and others.
“Mankind is going through a transition period to completely change its character,” said Passig. “We are in the fog regarding education. We can proceed in two ways: the first, I hold on to the foundations of the past as long as it works and while in motion I change this and that until it becomes clear what I need to do. The second, let’s build it all from the beginning.”
Passig said that there was great “heterogeneity and disagreement” on how to best tackle this issue.
The think tank intends to meet five times in the coming year prior to making its recommendations.