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New technology can
help students drive economy

Hawaii's strength and future depend not just on education, but on learning. There is a difference between the two. Education does not necessarily translate into learning, and learning does not always take place within the confines of traditional education.

We are built on a society of knowledge. Knowledge has long been called the great equalizer. But if technology and wealth continue to widen the gap between the haves and have-nots, both within Hawaii and around the world, knowledge may become the great "unequalizer" in the next century.

To prevent that, Hawaii's education system will need not so much to be reformed, but rather transformed by a mix of new policies and technologies. One way to encourage this transformation is to stop trying to teach our children what to think, and instead to teach them how to think. For too long, our schools have tried to do the former, neglected to do the latter, and thus failed to do either.

Hawaii's children -- and tomorrow's employers -- will be far better served if our schools teach the basics and equip students to think critically and independently. In an age of information and innovation, this could be the difference between opportunity and failure, growth and stagnation. Reading great works, writing clearly, speaking articulately and grasping mathematics and statistics are critical elements of Hawaii's economic growth and long-term strength -- but these skills need to be supplemented with the theoretical understanding of technology and practical application skills developed through experience with technology-based curriculum and classrooms.

Technology is redefining education and Internet-based learning is transforming higher education. Public policy, technology and business innovation is brought together to help working adults gain post-secondary credentials; age-old ideas like apprenticeships are more relevant now than ever; and businesses and government can work together to create a system of lifelong learning for tomorrow's workforce.

PricewaterhouseCoopers last week unveiled its collaboration with the University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Accountancy. The PricewaterhouseCoopers Technology Resource Center will provide accounting students with a high-tech environment to hone their professional skills and make them competitive candidates in the job market.

We fused old-fashioned common sense with new technology. We didn't seek to reinvent education; rather, we sought to recreate what makes education great. This means valuing the wisdom of professors, encouraging student involvement and utilizing current innovations as tools in the process.

PricewaterhouseCoopers believes that a wide spectrum of ideas is required to improve higher education. To that end, we have joined forces with the University and encourage others to do the same -- together we can improve the overall health of higher education in Hawaii.

However, transforming education is only half the challenge. Learning must become a part of life, as constant as change itself. Formal learning is no longer confined to the first 18 or 21 years of life, and continuing education is no longer the exclusive domain of accountants, doctors, computer technicians, teachers and lawyers. Policymakers and employers, public and private sectors must invest in lifelong learning. Together, these groups can build a society and culture of learning that will prepare today's children to be tomorrow's workforce, and today's workforce to be the engine of tomorrow's economic growth.

The era of unprecedented change ushered in by the Information Age of the 1990s has given way to an era of constant change, making skill development, education and technology training more important than ever. Without these, the jobs of the future will rapidly drain away from our industries and cities. Only a society willing and able to learn will be able to survive and thrive in this age of change and innovation.

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