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Futuristics Course for Malaysian Education Officers

For many years now, SEAMEO INNOTECH has been teaching educators in Southeast Asia how to foresee the future of education—or at least how it would look like. Through a two-week course called "Futuristics in Education," the Center equips educators in the region with competencies for imaging futures in education. They are trained to forecast imminent changes in the educational scenario and beyond, and alternately outline "preferred futures".

Last August 15-30 2005, another set of educators underwent training on Futuristics in Education. Twelve Malaysian senior education officers participated in the course in which, in relation to future imaging, they were trained to develop vision-driven programs and projects for education and bringing futuristics into the classroom and other learning areas. Upon return to their respective schools in Malaysia, they are expected to apply in their work and share with colleagues what they have learned. The course was divided into 17 modules developed by the Center/. Aside from the training proper, the Malaysian participants were also engaged in structured visits to primary and secondary schools implementing SEAMEO INNOTECH's text2teach and APEX projects.

Futuristics has been getting warm reception in Malaysia particularly in its educational system. Recent development in the national curriculum, in fact, include the integration of a course similar to futuristics roughly called "futures education." This move, undoubtedly, is part of Malaysia's aggressive effort to produce a more competitive workforce needed to sustain and edge further its significance in the global economy.

SEAMEO INNOTECH's Futuristics in Education course strengthens the belief that foresight and forecast are paramount to a dynamic educational system. Futuristics, at the very least, affords us the opportunity to think about and react to anticipated changes necessary to the advancement of present and future educational goals.

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