In the past few decades, what we teach and how we teach have changed considerably.
But how did any of us learn critical thinking in the past? It’s not something I recall specifically learning.
Surely it’s something, through experience, you gain over time.
I think young people are doing pretty damn well in the critical thinking space.
The ones I know certainly don’t take things at face value.
They question everything. So much so, it drives me up the wall at times.
They are all independent thinkers. I think it is life and work experience that deliver us the opportunities to develop thinking about things in certain ways. Thereby arriving at the best solutions and results.
I often hear older people being dismissive of the views of younger New Zealanders.
Especially of those aspiring to leadership positions. I saw and heard this last year in the local body elections.
A wave of young candidates standing and being successfully elected onto many councils. “What would they know, they have no experience”? Probably true but they have to start somewhere, as we all did. And there is no substitute for the experience they will gain “by doing”.
It’s so easy now to google search for the meaning and answers to everything that perhaps there’s a ring of truth that essential thinking skills are not being developed and encouraged in our young.
I see nothing wrong with referring to google when collecting background information, but critical thinkers would normally delve deeper in order to provide structured reasoning and support for their arguments.
You can’t problem solve if you can’t analyse and evaluate. Google can’t think for you and from my own experience, you recognise pretty quickly weak problem-solving talent.
I don’t necessarily think older people are being unkind in their comments.
They do have more life and work experience than those just starting out in their careers.
Young adults gain those over time too, but from the outset, they bring a freshness to the decision-making table.
And most importantly, they don’t come with, from what I have often observed, the baggage of cynicism and distrust that you find in some people who have been in significant decision-making roles for a long time.
Young leaders are willing to entertain new ideas for the changing social and economic times we live in.
Their views are important to the welfare of all citizens.
We cannot afford to ask them to wait until we determine when the time is right for them to step into active leadership roles.
How long will they have to wait? I am more worried about who is making decisions on their behalf in the meantime — an older generation in which some people don’t know how young people think or see their future.
They use their critical thinking skills to support their ideas that probably are not reflective of the views of younger New Zealanders.
These views must be heard now and where better than at the decision-making table.
Rather than worry about the lack of critical thinking skills in young people, I would prefer we create opportunities for them to gain these.
And let’s evaluate different arguments rigorously in relation to particular issues.
Let’s ensure weaknesses or negative points are recognised and bought out into the open too. It’s time to include our youth in determining and planning the future state of New Zealand and the world.
We can’t be dismissive of them by asking them to wait their turn.
Critical thinking is not learning something once and that’s it, sorted, nothing further required.
It is not even about accumulating facts and knowledge. It is about using your ability to reason.
And many older people should realise they don’t have a monopoly on that.
- Merepeka Raukawa-Tait has worked in the private, public and non-profit sectors. Today she writes, broadcasts and is a regular social issues commentator on TV. Of Te Arawa, Merepeka believes fearless advocacy for equity and equality has the potential to change lives.
