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8 Shortcomings

5 Trends

Jewish Perspective

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Contents

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The Author

of these slides

• Finished High School in the top 1% of NSW, Australia 
• Completed a combined Law & Engineering Degree in the University of NSW
• Worked in the Consulting, Construction and IT industries over the last 15 years.

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Facts

that are readily out there, as quick online search will confirm.

These slides are based on

I'm just putting them into

Perspective.

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Essential Vs. Academic

• School teaches essential skills children need in their everyday life.
• But somewhere there's a transition into academics --
• Such knowledge and skills believed to
  • Increase employability 
  • Open many doors
  • Enable survival in our advanced and competitive world

Part 1

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Gap

Actually, there's a huge

between the skills produced by schools and universities

and what the relevant industries really need.

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Starting from

Scratch

University Graduates are pretty much

when they enter the workforce.

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Moving Target

that's moving faster and faster and across more and more industries.

What you studied so hard for today may well be obsolete tomorrow.

Industry-valued knowledge & skills are a

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Change Your Mind

during your teens and also later, about what you actually want to do for a living.

You'd then end up practicing something different from what you've studied for.

You are likely to

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Success

Success has no relationship with excellence at school or Uni.

Academic Excellence

Graduating with flying colors may earn a placement in a respectable company but by no means guarantees thriving in the workforce thereafter.  Many high-distinction students end up to be mediocre professionals whereas people who made it big did not finish school or Uni.

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Work

to get you into the course you so want to get into.

Often times you go through the motions --

Effort, stress, anxiety etc -- 

but get a score that (alas) is

Reward

Not Enough

What now?  Well, you then do some bridging (generalist) course in University (eg Arts) in hope of obtaining good enough marks to transfer to that course of choice.

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Overstress

Academia is competitive,

And Industry is selective.

Better get good marks!

What?  You're struggling??  What will be your future?!

is often the result.

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or psychological treatment would then follow.

Medication

Strain

Over-stress causes 

Anxiety, Depression

or any other name Psychologists are calling it.

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Trends

we are already seeing out there.

Just natural, evolutionary changes in response to the above issues:

Here are some

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Industry is reaching out

to Universities and schools.

• Primarily for graduate and student programs
• But this is just a start
• This conduit will develop to inevitably reduce all the unnecessary fat in current curricula and courses.

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Vocational Courses

are becoming more palatable and recognizable alternatives to the traditional High School programs and University Degrees.

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Private Colleges

which offer lighter and shorter courses are becoming more competitive to the traditional Universities.

This is introducing diversity of pre-qualification options that the industry is more accepting of.

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Past Experience

and knowledge are devaluing as methods and know-hows transform.

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Strategy & Innovation

As opposed to technical and operational skills,

as process work becomes automated or outsourced.

Skills that are more sought after are

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Implications

• Academic achievements will not define your success
• Industry and High Schools should develop closer affinity
• General academics should be replaced with more viable studies
• Any essential qualifications should be postponed as much as possible:

from Part 1

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Any "Must" qualification for practicing in a particular field should be attained as late as possible, preferably after entering the workforce:

Qualifications -- Postpone

• To avoid unnecessary studying (change of mind, change of requirements, choice of course is immature)
• Your company will quite possibly sponsor the study
• The studying will be more meaningful

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Jewish View

on all this.

Over to the

Part 2

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Critical Development

years for the child.  Need to acquire 

High School is

with which to survive in this world.  These values would underpin everything, including making a living.

Values

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Detriment to Society.

Even if success in education and career is attained.

And to the Contrary:  "Successful" Criminals are using their ingenuity for bad purposes, like online hacking, illegal drug, terrorism etc.

Lack in Values

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Torah.

For Gentiles, these are more specifically the

7 Noachide Laws.

The Jewish value system is derived from the

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Right Outlook

on life.  

This underpins everything.

The most Central Value is to have the

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Two Divergent

themes of what this outlook should be:

Worldly:  Laws of nature are king. Religion may fill in the gaps

Torah:  G-d runs the world and nature is subservient.

So we generally find

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Many Implications

to this divergence.  For example:

To insure success -- where must you invest more?

There are

1. Natural means – completing school, university courses (bachelor, masters, post-graduate), working long hours and practicing trickery.
2. G-dly means – Learn and observe the Torah, ensuring any natural necessary means you persue are clean of Torah Prohibitions.

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The ultimate implication is the divergence in

Lifestyles...

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Academia

With less stress on Academic studies (Part 1), there's more time to impart good values on students (Part 2).

This is better for:

Values

• The Individual
  • Less time and effort wastage
  • Better mental stability
  • Higher success rate
  • Better and more meaningful life
• Positive impact on Society

Implications (from Part 2)

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What's changing with the Coming of Moshiach?

Part 3

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Divine Intelligence

will be the sole occupation of humanity

in the Messianic Age.

Acquiring

(Rambam (Mishne Torah) at its end.)

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Future of Academia

is in the science of the supernatural.

Education, research and scholarship will move into the spiritual arena, the study of G-dliness as elucidated by the deeper teachings of the Torah.

That'll be the

Hence the

Cutting Edge.

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Every man

will want and need to enroll in these new courses --

mostly as under-graduates with very little prior knowledge of Torah.

Aside from changes in syllabus, 

(and his dog?)

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Great Demand

for lecturers and Subject Matter Experts in the

Jewish Studied field.

Imagine the

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Basics of Judaism

(Alef, Bet)

Anywhere from

 (4 worlds, 10 spheres, 5 levels of the soul)

To Basics of Mysticism

• Like the difference between the world of אצילות (Emanation) and the worlds under it (בי"ע), and conversely the worlds above it (א"ק, א"ס).
• Or the essential difference between the supernal חכמה (Wisdom) and בינה (Understanding).

To more advanced topics

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Invest Now

Need to

in this very near future.

Not only as a World-to-Come thing, 

but as a "Plan A" career path.

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Why did you think that the Messianic Age is synonymous with putting your feet up and sun-baking ??

Meaning there's no need to work because G-dly radiance will be shining bright for us to delight in...

Messianic Age ≠ 

Early Retirement

(See Talmud Brachot 34b, Rambam Laws of Kings Ch.12.)

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Nowadays

There's actual, global demand for true Torah Scholars:

For the knowledge, 

the leadership, 

the inspiration and guidance.

But even

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Status Quo,

but also there is

Literal Demand:

The global, desparate need for Jewish Inspiration is the

Good Rabbis are well sought after.

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Talent,

There's 

For those with the

Pretty Good Remuneration...

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Part 3 -- Implications

Bring Academics back into play but in the realm of Torah:

• Especially for those with the sharper minds
• Especially on the deeper subjects of Torah (the Future)
• Torah academics also help to drive morals and values
• And provide a career path for now
• And especially for the near future
• As well as usher in this very Future Era...

Torah Academics

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Overall Conclusions

• Less emphasis on general academics 
• More emphasis on practical, lean, courses
• More emphasis on Torah -- its values and academics
• Emphasis on Torah does not undermine successful career in any profession
• Schoolling programs and certification should recognize the above