The world has moved from an agricultural to industrial to knowledge revolution with the transition to the knowledge economy being the most painful and confusing because it is faster than any previous revolution.2
‘In a knowledge age, education will undergo radical change since the needs of a knowledge society are fundamentally different from the needs of societies of the past. A society organised around knowledge generation is a society organised around an unlimited resource – one that is entirely renewable.’3
‘Knowledge economies are stimulated and driven by creativity and ingenuity. Knowledge schools have to create these qualities.’4 Integral to a knowledge-based economy in Queensland is a transformation of the educators, curriculum and learning environments so that there is relevance for students, today and in the future, as they prepare for an ever-changing world. This includes an increased knowledge of science and technology as well as creative and communication skills. To embed the transformation in education will require a significant culture shift for many educators and will involve ensuring students and their parents and caregivers are well informed about career pathways and options.
In 2003, an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report5 on Networks of Innovation stressed the need for governments to ensure that education was a high priority, politically, socially and economically. Research by Andy Hargreaves4, Warner6, David Hargreaves2, and Schleicher7 concurs that countries that invest heavily in education and skills benefit economically and socially.
The demand in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET), creative industries and other technical areas places pressure on systems to:
The Queensland Government has made a commitment through the Queensland Smart State Strategy 2005-20158 to place long-term investments in people and places to shape a society that uses knowledge, creativity, innovation and skills to stimulate enduring economic growth. The education initiatives of the Strategy, Smarter Learning, Smarter Classrooms and SmartAcademies, have been the catalyst required to stimulate investment in knowledge and skills for an innovative society. The challenges of the 21st century have only begun. The full impact is yet to be embraced by all educators and learning institutions across the state to effectively engage in the required change. Queensland can take national leadership in addressing education and skills issues, and thus making it unarguably the ‘Smart State’ in which smarter learning occurs, if all educators accept these challenges.