Pallikoodam: A progressive school shaping future-ready students

Over the weekend, at the invitation of my friend George Skaria, I visited and spent a day at Pallikoodam, one of India's top schools in Kottayam, Kerala, established 56 years ago by the redoubtable Mary Roy. I delivered a talk on “What the Heck do I do with my Life and How to flourish in the age of AI and Climate Change”, which was attended by 125 young people from 8-12th std., about 30 teachers and 50 other people from the community.

This unique institution embraces a progressive approach to education. No textbooks, a high teacher-to-student ratio, and a strong focus on environmental issues make it truly exceptional.

An Impressive Lot of Youngsters

The young students of Pallikadoom displayed an impressive level of curiosity and responsiveness during the talk. Almost every student was using ChatGPT, and seeing them embrace AI as an opportunity to do better was incredible. Most children had read my book in preparation for this talk and even taken copious notes. No wonder they had several questions, which I was happy to answer. The questions were precocious - ‘What are the risks of AI, and what can we do to deal with these?’ ‘How can I compete with AI?’ ‘What will it do to current jobs?’ ‘We’ve always been nervous about every new technology, so why is it different this time?’

After a session of about 90 minutes, 25 students stayed on, and we spoke for another 2 hours. I had a great time interacting with all these students.

Role of a School in Shaping the Future Adults

I’ve always believed that the way we will flourish in the age of machines is by becoming more human. It will be a while before machines are creative, solve complex problems, work collaboratively, or lead others to accomplish things. What I observed at Pallikoodam is that they lay strong emphasis on nurturing holistic development and fostering creativity in students. This approach not only enhances their self-confidence but also cultivates their curiosity and strengthens their moral compass. The school places great importance on humanities and practical skills while recognising the value of STEM disciplines.

I have much greater confidence that kids from schools like Pallikoodam will be finer than the exam-driven kids I have met from even some really good private schools.

There is an important lesson to understand from the philosophy and pedagogy of schools like Pallikoodam as we prepare young people for the future - empowering students to thrive in the age of machines while embracing their humanity.