A narrow metric traps us.

We smart from being colonized by the West even if physically we are free. But how about our minds? Aren’t we trapped in a narrow metric?

Recall the cognitive development scale that runs the spectrum – from binary or dualistic to relative thinking. Sadly, it is the reality inherent in human development. For example, ours reflect the lack of experience in development. But that touches on a particular chamber of the brain – when there are others (without being technical about it.) And in its absence, humankind relies on the intellect.

In other words, why can’t Juan de la Cruz be dynamic?

Of late, many are up in arms: Because of CREATE, the BIR wants to tax for-profit educational institutions.

Yet, we all know we are not only economic laggards; the Philippines lags the region in education. But education is a humongous test. Beyond taxes, there are also 21st-century skills that impose a much higher hurdle for education.

For example, the challenges we face are (1) money, as in our limited means – because of our mediocre tax revenues than our neighbors – owing to our lower GDP per capita; (2) upending the existing educational system.

The good news is that even a wealthy nation like the US, despite its bloated education budget, must also overcome the shortcomings of its educational system. Recall that when I relocated to my old MNC-company’s New York headquarters, I was involved in figuring out how to deal with higher education challenges.

And at that time, the Western world faced the rapidly rising Japanese competitiveness – aka Japan Inc. – driven by their “quality” culture. And it saw the beginning of the decline in American manufacturing, once the envy of the world.

And if China put the nail on the coffin of US manufacturing, it only confirms the dynamism of this universe – because Japan no longer leads in this arena.

And the history of modern Western industrial development illustrates the said reality. Post-WWII saw the need to rebuild the world, and America had a head start because the war did not physically impair it. Instead, it was riding a momentum – from the manufacturing efforts of wartime armaments.

But manufacturing is one piece of industry and commerce, and there are others. For example, marketing became a challenge as significant manufacturers like General Motors, organized along with the concept of command-and-control lifted from the military, saw the need to move beyond manufacturing. Procter & Gamble, for instance, realized the need to cut through the bureaucracy of a command-and-control environment and pioneered the concept of brand management.

Then finance’s turn came and then legal and then information technology. But how does industry pull these disparate functions and disciplines together? The Japanese quality culture led the way.

But then, this world is dynamic. It had to move from analog to digital. Enter: the tech giants; they started small – in family home garages – and then conquered the world.

That brings us to the 21st-century skills of (1) Critical thinking, (2) Creativity, (3) Collaboration, (4) Communication.

We in the chattering classes have discussed these skills. But talk is cheap.

For example, take critical thinking. If adults don’t own critical thinking, what more of students?

“Like many K-12 institutions, Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas has embraced 1:1 technology. But connecting the classroom to the outside world has helped students address real-world problems in new ways.

“During a problem-based learning process called “Genius Hour,” students identify issues they’re interested in exploring and, with the help of their teachers, connect via video with working professionals including engineers, physicians, scientists – even professional athletes. After one classroom of 5th graders at Sunflower Elementary engineered prosthetic tails for injured dolphins, they were able to meet prosthetic developers over a video to communicate about their work.

“Students get so excited about these professionals taking the time to speak with them.

“Experiential learning is where the power of the technology ties in.” [“Rethinking Teaching: How K-12 and higher education leaders can facilitate collaborative learning with technology”;  https://media.erepublic.com/document/CDE18_BRIEF_Cisco_V.PDF]

But what is critical thinking? “It is the practice of solving problems, among other qualities. In addition to working through issues, solving puzzles, and similar activities, critical thinking also includes an element of skepticism.

“This is important in the 21st century because it’s more complicated than ever to verify accurate information (primary thanks to the Internet).

“Critical thinking empowers students to discover the truth in assertions, especially when it comes to separating fact from opinion.

“With critical thinking, students don’t just learn a set of facts or figures. Instead, they know how to discover the facts and figures for themselves.

“They ask questions. They become engaged in the world around them. They help others think critically, too.

“That might be the most crucial part of critical thinking. Once one student has it mastered, it quickly spreads to their peers.

“Whether they learn how to think critically from spending time online or simply asking ‘Why?’ in everyday life, this skill prepares students for a life of independence and purposeful thought.

“Still, critical thinking is just one of the four C’s in 21st Century skills.” [What Are the 4 C’s of 21st Century Skills (?), Bri Stauffer, Applied Educational Systems, 7th May 2020]

What have I learned from the shortcomings of US higher education? That experiential learning is crucial. And so, instead of lectures, educators must learn to conduct workshops. See above re the “Genius Hour,” which also incorporates technology.

In other words, no one function or discipline can deal with the challenges posed by this century.

“The habits of Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and other innovative CEOs reveal much about the underpinnings of their creative thinking. Research shows that five discovery skills distinguish the most innovative entrepreneurs from other executives.

“Dyer, of Brigham Young University; Gregersen, of Insead; and Christensen, of Harvard Business School, reveal how innovative entrepreneurs differ from typical executives. Their study demonstrates that five ‘discovery skills’ distinguish the most creative executives: Associating helps them discover new directions by making connections among seemingly unrelated questions, problems, or ideas. Questioning allows innovators to break out of the status quo and consider new ideas. Through observing, innovators carefully and consistently look for small behavioral details—in the activities of customers, suppliers, and other companies—to gain insights about new ways of doing things. In experimenting, they relentlessly try on new experiences and explore the world. And through networking with diverse individuals from an array of backgrounds, they gain radically different perspectives.” [“The Innovator’s DNA” by Jeffrey H. Dyer, Hal Gregersen, and Clayton M. Christensen; Harvard Business Review, December 2009]

And then consider our instincts: We are parochial and insular. So, we value hierarchy and paternalism and rely on political patronage and oligarchy that ours is a culture of impunity.

Sadly, our discussions on the Philippine education crisis come from our inward-looking bias. We don’t recognize the imperative of establishing benchmarks whenever we dissect a problem.

And it explains why we all speak from our respective expertise. And that reveals how much the world has left us behind.

Consider: We have a problem with money, as in GDP. We have an education crisis. We again demonstrated our backwardness in our response to the pandemic.

Yet, we can’t go beyond the need to trumpet our good deeds when our best hasn’t proved good enough.

And that’s why the blog keeps raising that “the ball is in our court,” us in the Philippine elite class.

For example, beyond the failure of a GDP growth rate of 6%-7% (that paved the way to raising our credit ratings) to lift us from regional laggard, we like to broadcast that manufacturing has moved up – not just services. But what is our yardstick? Consider: Our top eight companies combined can’t even match the revenues of one Vietnam enterprise, i.e., Samsung Vietnam.

Or course, the Constitution stands in the way. But the Constitution is merely an expression of our instincts. What goes around comes around.

In other words, we cannot measure success against a parochial metric because the 21st century is one of innovation and global competitiveness. Nor can we lionize our tycoons when they are the significant barriers to the opening of the Philippine economy.

Unsurprisingly, we smart from being colonized by the West even if physically we are free. But how about our minds? Aren’t we trapped in a narrow metric?

Gising bayan!