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A conversation with dreamers about 21st century skills

 

Dear student councils representatives

 

Today’s students need to master seven survival skills to thrive in the new world of work. And these skills are the same ones that will enable students to become productive citizens who contribute to solving some of the most pressing issues we face in the 21st century.

 

  1. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

 

  1. Collaboration and Leadership

 

  1. Agility and Adaptability

 

  1. Initiative and Entrepreneurialism

 

  1. Effective Oral and Written Communication

 

  1. Accessing and Analyzing Information

 

  1. Curiosity and Imagination

 

You are given abundant opportunities to groom yourselves and learn about the world during your academic life. 

 

In my opinion , The student council is one such opportunity given to students to learn the skills of leadership during high school and college. 

 

Leadership skills help you in several ways and are essential for you to deal with your  peers during your academic years and in your  practical life as well.

 

 A few key advantages of promoting leadership through a student council for are:

 

1-Team Building

This is one of the most essential skills that students learn by being a part of the student council. Being leaders of certain groups and societies,

 

  i am sure you would nod not miss  learning to establish goals, delegate responsibility and give directions to your peers on executing tasks successfully.

 

I also would stress the importance to learn the skill of interactive and effective communication and become good listeners. 

 

In you future life you should be flexible and it is now the time to obtain the skills to mentor groups of your fellow students to perform to their optimum capacity. 

 

This is  an important learning and practical experience for your  future.

 

2-Resource Utilization

Being in a Student Council, you should be learning  innumerable skills including those of resource allocation and resource utilization. 

 

Utilization of resources is one of the key skills that, if learnt correctly, will help you  lead  efficiently. 

 

Such skills help you  utilize the resources available to your council  in the best possible manner to achieve maximum results.

 

3-Prioritizing Tasks

 

Being in a position of leadership can teach you  to take on multiple responsibilities. 

 

However, all tasks are not urgent or require immediate attention

 

 You must learn how to prioritize tasks according to their importance and need for immediate attention. 

 

To be able to prioritize, a person must have a clear vision and knowledge of their goals. This will enable you to effectively prioritize in terms of time, man power and resources required for each task.

 

4-Confidence Building

 

As a student leader, i am sure you  get ample opportunities to speak out in public and communicate with large groups of audiences. 

Every one of you should get the opportunity to be responsible for leading task forces and managing groups of people.

 

 You are also supposed to take certain risks as well as make important decisions.

 

 You have to stand firm in difficult times. 

 

All of this helps you  built your self confidence and makes you able to take on tough challenges with determination. 

 

5-Making a Difference

 

Many students in leading positions know that their actions and decisions can make a difference. This inspires them to be more proactive and alters their attitude towards their work and their life. 

 

They are dedicated to bring change and work passionately to make a difference in the world and in the life of others. 

 

This dedication and the determination to make a difference stays with you throughout your

life pushing you forward and helping you  to change the world with your actions.

 

I believe your student councils life  are part of these 21st century skills  needed  in civic education , as part of learning and practicing  democracy , and building leadership qualities

 

It concerns me in this particular moment is that you are  perceived by the society as ellite schools for ellite sector of the society.

 

I am not sure if this is good or bad, however you live in Egypt , you belong to this part of the world and you cannot just exclude yourselves from the society you live in .

 

Coming to you I thought of  3 messages.

 

One of them is being delivered , the second one is  an overview of the whole education system in Egypt so you realize the privilege you have and to open your minds to a wider scope of future collaboration.

The third one is how do you fit as council in the democratic build up of you country , which poses number of questions i would like to leave with you to think about.

 

You may  ask me why is that relevant to me

The butterfly effect???

 

ع

علاقه اتحاد الطلاب بطريقه تكوين برلمان البلاد

من هم برلمان المدرسه

اتحاد الطلاب تعليم مدني

ما هو الهدف الرئيسي من تكوينه ان لم يرتبط ويناقش اهدافه

هل هناك فائده من الخروج من نطاق المدرسه الي كل الجمهوريه

من يحدد اهدافه القانون ام اداره المدرسه ام الطلاب

ما هو التوازن بين عمله وبين الدراسه وهي الوظيفيه الاساسيه للطالب

هل تعتقدون باهميه تمثيل البنات والأقليات

 

From my speech to AUC graduates  class 2009

 

Finish

 

  • You will discover as you go in life that your influence and leadership comes by choice, not from position ,rank or fate.

 

 

 

  • My daughters and sons, “The history of free men and women is never written by chance..But by choice.”.

 

  • Enlarging choices is critically linked to two issues: capabilities on the one hand, and opportunities on the other hand.

 

 . Our role as seniors is to create enviroment and systems for you to widen your capabilities, and work to create opportunities , but it will be always you who make the choice , your own choice .

 

Let me remind you daughters and sons  that all achievement, all earned riches, have their beginning in an idea. An idea is the starting point. The idea when accepted will develop to become a vision, dream or goal. This is one half of the secret of success.

 

The power that signals success is the power of your mind. How to make life say yes or no to your plans and ambitions resides in your mind. What you think can bring success or failure.

 

I believe all humans are born with the same brain capacity , it is how much you work to use what is available and not used  of your capacity.

 

There is a positive and negative use of the mind:

 

Positive use of the mind brings happiness, good health, success, prosperity and long life.

 

Negative use of the mind brings sadness, depression, sickness and diseases, failure, and poverty