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Saturday Oct 05, 2024
Wednesday, 18 March 2015 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Pearson Qualifications International Vice President Seetha Kumar
Q: You were just recently appointed Vice President of Pearson Qualifications International. How has the new post been treating you so far? What is the scope of work your new position entails?
A: It has been really interesting so far. At Pearson, we take international qualifications seriously. This requires thinking about the learner’s needs and how we can keep improving while maintaining high quality standards. From a quality perspective, we are very closely linked with the regulatory standards, and principles in the UK. We make a focused effort to understand what qualifications work with different markets, and how best we can offer a service as opposed to a transaction.
In the end it comes back to how we look at the learner holistically in different parts of the world, in a way that truly benefits their lives. This covers the key brands that we have: Edexcel, BTEC, LCCI, Pearson Assured and our primary qualification PLSC. We look at many countries, including Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Every country and education system is slightly different. In some countries, the focus is mostly on academic subjects and qualifications, while in others, the focus is more towards employability and having 21st century competencies and skills.
Q: As a strategist, what plans do you have for the Pearson brand going forward?
A: One of the things I’ve learned, as a strategist is that it’s important to spend the first three months listening to people in a new role. For instance I spent a very constructive half-day here in Sri Lanka constantly asking questions. You really need to listen, learn and then think through in a careful way what you need to do.
Q: What would you say is your greatest professional challenge?
A: I think there are a multitude of challenges because things change in the markets we work in. The dynamics in different countries are changing, education systems are changing and how you learn is changing. It’s really how you work with and embrace change. I don’t see this as a challenge in the negative sense, but more a fact of life that you need to be aware of.
Pearson has a strong commitment to efficacy and our CEO, John Fallon, has talked about it consistently. Understanding that and how we roll it out is a big challenge for Pearson, in a good way. It entails us working to always keep the learner in mind in a concerted way in a period of change.
Q: What are the current trends you’re seeing in the education sector, and how is Pearson keeping up with these trends?
A: I work in one part of Pearson. There are multiple experts across the organisation, constantly keeping one step ahead in different areas. For example in the K to 12 area you’ve got people thinking about different forms of learning, and how to create innovation. In higher education you’ve got colleagues doing a range of different things. Technology is providing change, so what that means for the learner is a big area. Another thing to consider is how people really learn in terms of brain cognition, and how do we facilitate that?
Currently, there are lots of intelligent people graduating but finding it challenging to get a job. On the flip side you’ve got corporate organisations saying they can’t get the skills they need. So there is a gap between supply and what is in demand. We need to think in terms of employability and problem solving competencies in a world of change. More importantly the question is how to instil vocational skills at an early age. The more we can instil these values in schools, the more we can help children get jobs in the future.
Q: Would you agree that education has moved away from a purely academic focus towards more practical, skills-based education? What has Pearson done to keep up with this trend?
A: There are two trains of thought, one is academic, which encourages analytical thinking, and allows people to read and absorb. The second is the employability aspect, which is practical and skills based. I think both practical and academic aspects, when blended, are much stronger. Pearson recognises the importance of employability. We offer qualifications such as BTEC and LCCI, which are very practical.
Q: What potential do you see in Sri Lanka in the education sector? How would you say it fares compared to the rest of the region?
A: I get the sense that academics are very highly valued here. Picking up on the employability aspect, I think we can offer more choice and progress additional skills, which can help raise standards, such as teacher training. I get the sense there is a real hunger for Sri Lanka to be aligned with international global standards. We have the resources and expertise to help with that.
Q: As someone with extensive experience in the digital medium, how up to date would you say Pearson is on the digital front?
A: I think we use the term digital as a catch all. In universities, sometimes when people use the word digital they think of IT, in terms of back end systems, which are dependent on how, the organisation evolved. A lot depends on user need. At the BBC the content we produced was consumed differently. It was more of a lean back model in terms of engagement. I think learning is more a lean forward model. It requires more participation. So the important thing is how has learning been shaped by technology? How does it work to help a learner? You have to come back to how it’s consumed. There are effective interactive tools being developed in other fields.
