A Futures Perspective in the School Curriculum

Abstract

The future has captivated many people, from astrologers to trendsetters. However, it is rarely explicitly studied in the school setting. While businesses frequently develop five-year plans and government departments look to the immediate future, educational institutions have been slow to adopt forwardlooking foci in their curricula. Futures studies is an established global field of study that is now gaining greater prominence and covers a spectrum of practices, ranging from examination of current trends to critically working for the creation of specific futures. It offers techniques, methodologies and concepts that have relevance in the classroom. This paper is an exploration of the need for education to be more futures-oriented and of ways in which established futures concepts and methodologies can be incorporated as part of a futures perspective across curriculums.