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19 teachwire.net/secondary Empower the COPILOTS T he government’s impending review of the National Curriculum and statutory assessment systemhas come at a critical moment in education – and the world in general. We’re standing on the cusp of the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR) – a collaborative era in which the work of humans and artificial intelligence will combine to drive productivity and innovation. As noted inMade By Dyslexia’s recent Intelligence 5.0 report (see bit.ly/ ts141-D1), to do this successfully humans will need to develop the skills that AI can’t replicate, such as critical thinking, problem solving and creativity. The problem is, our education and assessment system isn’t currently set up to do this. Instead, it largely measures and treasures those very things that AI is well-suited to. The traditional viewof‘soft skills’ For decades, schools have benchmarked intelligence via a range of traditional standardised tests and measures, using these to grade, select and filter applicants into further education, jobs and other opportunities. For decades, however, these tests have disadvantaged those who excel in creativity, problem solving and other soft skills, rather than rote memorisation and spelling ability. One group that exemplifies this is dyslexic thinkers, who may struggle in standardised test measures, yet demonstrate exceptional creativity, communication and problem-solving. Only 35% of dyslexics pass GCSE English andMaths, meaning 65% are labelled as ‘failures’. In fact, they possess exactly the kind of intelligence our future needs. Yet for these bright dyslexics, not having a pass in English andMaths can block them from pursuing further education. Anewera Modern-day AI is rapidly reframing the type of thinking critical for success in adulthood. Where AI thinking aggregates , dyslexic thinking innovates , making AI and dyslexics the perfect copilots. This is backed up by data fromRandstad’s latest in-demand skills research, as featured in the Intelligence 5.0 report, which shows how skills such as lateral thinking, complex problem- solving and creativity are among the most in-demand across all sectors, globally. It’s these skills that will be needed to move the world forward, making it crucial that our schools support their development. As things stand, however, they’re not currently measured via traditional assessment processes, nor are they being sufficiently nurtured under the current school system. Andreas Schleicher, director of education and skills at the OECD, has similarly stressed the need to create education systems capable of fostering the social and emotional skills required to complement the use of AI: “ [These] are what make us human in a world of artificial intelligence. Our assessment systems must make the invisible – the creativity, the curiosity, the empathy, the trust, the persistence – visible and tangible for educators. ” That’s whyMade By Dyslexia has partnered with Virgin to launch the world’s first University of Dyslexic Thinking, DyslexicU – a free online platformhosted by the Open University, designed to teach the world the power and value of dyslexia (and how to think like a dyslexic). Anewschool of thought The government must change and transform the outdated testing methods currently used in education, so that we canmeasure the intelligence the 5IRworld now demands. This new systemwill need to blend learning tasks with real- time assessment, focusing on problem-solving and creative thinking. Maths and science should be taught as tools for inquiry and innovation – not material for rote memorisation. We also need to recognise that dyslexia comes with valuable thinking skills, and take steps towards acknowledging how dyslexic thinking is capable of driving innovation in a changing world. Our education system should enable all children and young people to develop the knowledge and skills they’ll need to thrive as citizens – in school, in work and throughout the rest of their lives. For us to succeed in this, we need to empower dyslexic thinkers. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kate Griggs is the founder and CEO of the global charity Made By Dyslexia, host of the Lessons in Dyslexic Thinking podcast and the author of the books Xtraordinary People (£7.99, Penguin Random House Children’s) and This is Dyslexia (£9.99, Vermilion); readers can access free training for teachers and parents via tiny.cc/ts141-D2 L I T E R A C Y Students with dyslexia are being ill-served by assessment systems that overlook their increasingly important skill sets, says Kate Griggs “Weneed to recognise that dyslexiacomeswithvaluable thinking skills”