Every student is a work in progress, shaped by the questions they ask, the experiences they encounter and the opportunities they receive.World Students’ Day, observed on 15 October to mark the birth anniversary of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam,celebrates the spirit of learning and the potential of young minds to shape a better tomorrow.
“Dream, dream, dream. Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in action.”
These words by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, India’s former President and a lifelong inspiration to students, reflect his enduring belief in the power of dreams, learning and purposeful action.
But in a world where artificial intelligence is transforming how we learn, work and access information, an important question arises: is education equipping students merely with knowledge, or preparing them to question, adapt and apply it meaningfully?
The answer calls for a closer look at what education must change, what it must leave behind and what it must preserve. Beyond marks and memorisation, students need opportunities to develop critical thinking, creativity, empathy and the confidence to navigate uncertainty.
To explore these questions, ETEducation invited school leaders to reflect on The Great Reset, The Unlearning Imperativeand the books and life skills they believe every student needs. Their responses examine what education must change, what it must leave behind and what must remain at its core to prepare students for life beyond the classroom.
Their reflections offer a timely perspective on an essential question: what must education do today to help students thrive tomorrow?
Q The great reset: If we could rebuild higher education from scratch, what would we change, introduce and never compromise on?
Reimagining education begins with asking what truly prepares children for life. In a world where information is readily available and the future demands more than academic knowledge, school leaders reflect on what classrooms must leave behind, what they should nurture and which values must remain at the heart of learning.
For Jyotsna Saxena, CEO, Aditya Birla Group of Schools, education must move beyond ready-made answers towards better questions, sound judgement and character.
“I would stop teaching students that success lies in having the right answers, as there is no dearth of information. What matters is asking better questions and making sound judgements. I would start teaching learners to navigate change and uncertainty. What I would never compromise on is character.”
Moving from the importance of asking the right questions to how learning happens in practice, Abhimanyu Basu, Dean and CEO, Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai, highlights the role of experiential learning in connecting classroom concepts with real-world problems. He also emphasises the importance of character, curiosity and compassion in education.
But a shift in teaching methods must also change how student potential is perceived. Dr Sunita Gandhi, Chief Academic Advisor, City Montessori School, emphasises that education must nurture potential rather than rank children. “No child should grow up believing they are less capable because they learn differently or at a different pace. Every child’s right to learn with understanding, dignity and joy must never be compromised.”
Building on the importance of individual growth, Radhika Bharat Ram, Joint Vice Chairperson, The Shri Ram Schools and Founder Chairperson, KARM for Young Indian Women, the priorities are intellectual honesty, critical thinking and student wellbeing. Every child, she believes, must feel safe, valued and empowered to discover their potential.
For Dr Randal Harrington, Director, The American Embassy School, the starting point is recognising that no two learners are alike. He puts it simply: “Stop teaching as if every child is the same. Start teaching how to listen, and never compromise on teaching ethics.”
Moving from individual differences to the design of learning itself, Arti Dawar, CEO, Shiv Nadar School, calls for learning that develops adaptability and encourages students to work across disciplines. She adds that schools must preserve the human core of education: teachers who know their students and communities where every learner feels they belong.
Taking this vision beyond textbooks and into the real world, Helen Bowen, Head of School, Kings College, India, advocates real-world experiences, practical skills and assessments that celebrate creativity and innovation alongside academic achievement. Above all, she stresses that empathy and kindness must remain foundational values.
Q The Unlearning Imperative: What are we teaching today that could hold students back tomorrow?
Rethinking education also means challenging beliefs that have shaped classrooms for generations. From the pressure to achieve top marks to the fear of failure and the expectation to follow established paths, school leaders examine what must change to help children think independently, embrace curiosity and discover their individual potential.
If the great reset is about rethinking how children learn, the unlearning imperative is about challenging the assumptions that have shaped classrooms for generations. For Jyotsna Saxena, schools must unlearn the belief that every student needs to be the best. Education must value curiosity as much as compliance, growth as much as grades, and lifelong learning as much as conventional achievement.
This rethink extends to how learning is measured. Abhimanyu Basu argues that grades alone cannot define success. In an age when AI can readily supply answers, education must reclaim curiosity, judgement, empathy, creativity and resilience. Students must also develop the courage to admit when they do not know something and learn from failure.
For Sunita Gandhi, the change must begin with how schools respond when children struggle. When students fear mistakes, they stop asking questions. Meaningful learning experiences can instead build confidence, independence and the courage to think for themselves.
Radhika Bharat Ram takes this further by challenging the idea that there is only one right answer or one path to a successful life. Children need the freedom to experiment, make mistakes and discover what they are capable of.
Another deeply rooted assumption is the expectation that students should always follow instructions. Dr Randal Harrington questions the culture of compliance reinforced by high-stakes examinations, arguing that students must develop independent and creative thinking.
The need for independent thinking also raises questions about how subjects are taught. Arti Dawar highlights the limitations of teaching disciplines in isolation when real-world challenges demand interdisciplinary thinking and the freedom to question.
Helen Bowen offers a different perspective, asking whether every traditional skill must retain the same priority. Rather than holding students back by insisting on familiar methods, she believes education can create more room for critical thinking, effective communication and exploration.
Rapid Fire: Little questions, big insights for student survival
Beyond classroom reforms, what should students carry with them long after graduation? We put school leaders on the spot with two quick questions about books that broaden young minds and life skills that help students navigate the world.
Q1. One book every student should read before graduating?
If education is about opening minds, a good book can be the beginning of that journey. From finding purpose and building resilience to questioning the world around them, these are the reads school leaders believe every student should consider.
- Jyotsna Saxena: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, for its lessons on purpose, empathy and meaningful relationships.
- Abhimanyu Basu: Range by David Epstein.
- Dr Sunita Gandhi: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl, for its insights into purpose and resilience.
- Dr Randal Harrington: The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin.
- Arti Dawar: The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac.
- Helen Bowen: Animal Farm by George Orwell, for its lessons on propaganda, manipulation and the consequences of inaction.
Q2. One skill every student should master that no classroom can teach?
Books can offer perspective, but navigating life calls for putting learning into practice. We asked the leaders to name the one skill they believe students should develop to face setbacks, understand others and thrive beyond the classroom.
- Jyotsna Saxena: Learning from failure without losing confidence, while listening to different perspectives.
- Abhimanyu Basu: Understanding oneself and continuing to learn, adapt and grow.
- Dr Sunita Gandhi: Empathy, or the ability to see the world through another person’s eyes.
- Radhika Bharat Ram: Learning from failure, reflecting and finding the courage to try again.
- Dr Randal Harrington: Social graces and the ability to bring out the best in others.
- Arti Dawar: “None. If a classroom can’t teach it, we haven’t designed the right classroom yet.”
- Helen Bowen: Creative thinking, questioning what exists and imagining what could be.
The takeaway: Education must nurture the whole child
The school leaders’ message is clear: the future of education depends on nurturing curious minds, confident learners and compassionate individuals. Academic achievement matters, but it cannot come at the cost of wellbeing, creativity or character.
This World Students’ Day, the challenge for schools is to create learning environments where children are encouraged to ask questions, embrace mistakes and discover their potential. After all, the most valuable outcome of education is not simply what students know, but who they become.
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