We see education as the process of learning information and facts, the acquiring of knowledge. We devise tests and exams to ensure it has taken place and these are the cornerstone of our educational system determining success and advancement. But in an internet age when everyone is able to access an encyclopaedia of information capable of answering almost any question, is this focus on knowledge and learning a mistake? Moreover, recent research has shown that even the highest achieving students forget the majority of their teaching within a year.
Have we got the whole of education and teaching wrong and failed to take account of the new era that is upon us? Should we see the acquiring of facts as a pointless exercise and instead focus on the means to assess different sources of information and the ability to critically assess claims and data? Or is the abandonment of the learning of knowledge a dangerous strategy that will lead to chaos and division, and traditional learning more vital than ever?