If you’ve ever wondered what the future holds for your little ones, a leading futurologist has predicted just that. But it’s not all bright.
According to Rohit Talwar, today’s children could end up working until they are 100 years old, in as many as 40 different jobs.
One of Britain’s top experts on the future, he told a conference of head teachers yesterday to prepare secondary school pupils for a very different world than the one experienced by their parents, The Times reports.
Life-extending drugs and other medical advances mean that people are living five months longer each year. This means a child aged eleven might live to 120 and work until 100, taking up 40 jobs spanning ten or more careers and adopting a “portfolio” approach involving a range of employment, says the report.
“You might be driving Uber [taxis] part of the day, renting out your spare bedroom on Airbnb, renting out space in your closet, doing delivery for Amazon, renting out your driveway for somebody who wants to park their car there,” Rohit told head teachers.
Not exactly the sort of life you had in mind for your offspring?
If that all sounds a bit hectic, he suggests that schools adapt their teaching styles to give pupils more relevant skills, including learning how to relax, boost their memories and get more sleep to cope. Adding that new “soft” skills taught in schools should include meditation to boost relaxation and productivity, and guidance on managing stress by emphasising the link between healthy sleep patterns and performance.
Now that’s more like it. I’m sure we could all do with those sorts of lessons.
