Giving Compass' Take:

• Mahesh Vee explains why education alone is not sufficient to produce workforce-ready individuals. Nutrition and other factors also play into students abilities to learn and eventually enter the workforce. 

• How can education programs be better designed to incorporate children's' basic needs so that they can learn and grow properly? How do free and reduced-price lunches in the U.S. play a role in the success of our education system?

• Find out how community schools are providing a range of services to increase academic success.

India is dancing along the edge of a demographic dividend. We need to act now so we can make the most of the surge in our working-age population (currently 630 million-strong). A crucial step in this direction involves maximizing the productivity and potential of the workforce. The next stage of India’s growth requires a level of human capital that is healthier, better educated and more productive.

Several empirical studies highlight how impaired cognitive ability is linked to poor health and malnutrition in early childhood.

In studies conducted with Indian children aged 5-7 years and 8-10 years, stunting is shown to have affected the development of higher cognitive processes such as tests of attention, working memory, learning and memory, and visuospatial ability.

If we are to go by the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), not only is there a need to focus on cognitive development as it relates to education, but we must also factor in the links between early childhood nutrition, education, and employability when designing programmes.

The abilities and talent relevant for the future are very much tied to how our nation addresses the development of our children in a holistic manner. Where capabilities and abilities are shaped by learning systems, environment and life experiences, the likelihood of somebody’s true potential and talent never surfacing is quite real. And that’s the knowledge that must inform how we approach design of programmes in education and skill development.

Read the full article on a holistic approach to workforce readiness by Mahesh Vee at India Development Review.