CraigT

With the speed of innovation, the most important skills for people to learn are how to be flexible, adaptable and open to change.

Teaching specific technical skills tends to result in graduates who are years out of date and require retraining in the workplace.

Even focusing on teaching paradigms is a risky business. We've seem new paradigms arise and co-exist or cannibalise existing ones in surprisingly short timeframes - much shorter than those required by an official body to understand, develop and present a curriculum on the areas.

Most important in my view is that students are provided with access to high speed internet, the latest computing technology and the tools necessary to use it to its fullest potential.

This is not the course being taken by NSW in their 'laptop' program - which will result in students having seriously dumbed down and disconnected machines, which will not match the power and flexibility they have with their home computers.

Frankly the twin poles of innovation and control do not play nice together, and governments and the school system must be prepared to allow flexibility and innovation into the classroom. Otherwise we will not end up with adults who are willing or able to support Australia to remain a highly developed nation.

Chain creativity and you chain the future.

Another important approach is to walk the talk. Demonstrate through government websites that the government is serious about an education revolution and empowering students and working Australians to innovate and adopt new technologies and approaches.

The Australian government has a highly risk-adverse and backwards looking IT sector, which does not support the goals of the government in encouraging Australia to look forward.

Where confidential information and privacy is not at risk, the government should be experimenting widely with new technologies and actively engaging the public to help the government get their use right. If mistakes are not permitted, innovation cannot exist. This sends a message that the government is about 'do what I say', not 'do what I do'.