[Insight & Opinion] Let's Move Beyond Past Knowledge and Learn About the Future

[Asia Economy] Generally, education teaches the accumulated knowledge of the past up to the present. This knowledge was beneficial in times when life across generations was similar and changes were minimal. However, living in the 21st century, the situation is entirely different. The speed of change makes even the near future uncertain. Now, education based solely on knowledge accumulated from the past is grossly insufficient. New education that responds to change and uncertainty is increasingly demanded. In short, future-oriented education is urgently needed.

One of the pioneers who emphasized the necessity of future education or learning about the future is Alvin Toffler. His first book, "Future Shock," published in 1970, summarizes well the need and importance of future education.

"We must make people perceive the probabilities and possibilities of tomorrow. We must raise people's future consciousness... Why is there no subject on futurology while teaching history to students?"

"If millions of people develop a passion to know and learn about the future, a society that better copes with the shock of change will be realized. Evoking such curiosity and awareness about the future is the foremost task of education... Education must shift to the future tense."

Why do people not learn about the future well? Because such subjects have not existed in education until now. We are accustomed to the practice of education centered on knowledge accumulated from the past for hundreds of years, making it difficult to learn about the intangible future. It is also because there is a lack of teachers and instructors to teach the future and good textbooks and materials to refer to.

Even if preparations are not perfect, I believe that once education about the future begins, these problems will gradually be resolved. First, we can start education and learning about future prospects by utilizing various accumulated materials on future outlooks, including technological change, demographic change, and environmental change. Discussing preferred futures together is also a highly beneficial learning process for creating desirable futures. Exploring one's talents helps find a future that suits oneself.

Discovering and discussing various possible future scenarios is also excellent future education. We can create preferred futures, desirable futures, and aspirational future images and consider future strategies to achieve those futures together. There is no need to blame the lack of instructors or textbooks. Starting is half the battle. From now on, we must actively start and strengthen future education and learning about the future.

South Korea tends to be excessively immersed in past and current issues. Whether at the individual or national level, efforts to systematically prepare for the future by talking about and learning about the future are insufficient. Now is the time to talk about the future and learn about the future.

You see as much as you know. The more you learn about and know the future, the greater the possibility of creating a better future. There is no reason not to learn about the future while learning about the past and present. Trying to create a better future without learning about the future is like solving a problem without basic knowledge about it. Learning about the future, just as we learn about the past and present, is the most certain and desirable way to create the future of individuals and South Korea. Let us create a society that learns about the future.

Kim Hyungon, Director of the National Assembly Future Institute