Only 45% of pupils are prepared for life after school: Study

Fewer than half of pupils, including Indians, felt they were well equipped to take their next step in education, and only 45% felt prepared for life after school, a worldwide survey has found.

Carried out by Cambridge University Press and Assessment, the survey - Preparing Learners to Thrive in a Changing World: The View from International Education - will be published on Tuesday and had responses from 3,021 teachers and 3,840 students in 150 countries including a weighted sample of South-Asian respondents.

Subject knowledge, which was once the unchallenged key to achievement, is now beginning to resemble a short-term commodity. While teachers and students still view it as crucial to pass exams, it was the lowest-priority choice for school-leavers' life after school, as per the report.

Teachers are more upbeat: over two-thirds of them report that their students are ready to proceed and many emphasize leadership and self-management skills.

But complacency is around the corner; an Indian student noted: "As AI expands. memorizing subject knowledge is less important."

Students continue to value subject knowledge for school exams but placed leadership, management and business skills first for life after school. An Indian educator commented that a lot of students "have made short-term plans for next one or two years" but do not know about postgraduation options.

South Asian parents, who previously were concerned with which university their child might get into, now ask if education "will prepare you with the kind of skills that are going to make you successful in a future world," says Rod Smith, head of international education at Cambridge. Self-management shows the gap: one out of four teachers named it the most difficult skill to teach, and roughly 19% of students found it most difficult to learn. Technology makes the challenge greater - two out of three students fear distraction by devices, and 88% of teachers indicate attention spans are declining.

Interpersonal skills are also impacted. Teachers identify fear of judgment and social anxiety as the largest obstacles to the creation of interpersonal skills, and 60% identify reduced social skills as a significant drawback of technology, the poll revealed.

An Indian school leader cautioned that technology unites learners but "has limited understanding in the way it offers solutions," constricting world perspectives. One student explained communication skills are important because "we need to exchange ideas. before it gets out of hand." Experts in the report emphasize that knowledge of the subject is more crucial than ever; without a proper foundation, AI can mislead instead of empower. Smith repeated this, indicating over-reliance on technology "leads you down dead end."

Cambridge aims to aid schools to balance demanding subject knowledge with opportunities to develop self-management, leadership & communication skills.

In India, where parents have spent so much money on education, the results are a wake-up call. Students might underestimate their preparedness, yet teachers notice potential. To provide youth with discipline with technology, confidence to work together and curiosity to continue learning has the potential to convert promise into a strength in the future.