“The generation that learns to think will shape the future”
Interview with Sarah Osborne-Jones, Principal of Hamelin-Laie International School, a Nord Anglia Education school.
Topics to be discussed: education, artificial intelligence and metacognition.
Are we educating children to pass exams, or to survive intellectually in a world dominated by artificial intelligence?
I believe education today must prepare students for far more than simply passing exams. Our children are growing up and developing in a world where AI can provide instant answers. Because of that, the most important skills they will need are not necessarily the same ones that were important for previous generations, but rather those that allow them to think independently, make decisions, and navigate uncertainty. This is precisely what the recent Skills AI Can’t Match study by Nord Anglia Education in partnership with Boston College demonstrates: students who began developing metacognition – that is, reflecting on how they think – significantly improved skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and resilience. These are exactly the kinds of approaches we are already applying with our students at Hamelin-Laie International School.
If AI can already answer almost any question, what is the point of continuing to teach memorisation alone?
Memorisation still has a role because we need a solid foundation of knowledge, and memorising remains a valuable skill in many areas of life. However, it can no longer sit at the centre of learning. If artificial intelligence can answer almost any question, the real value now lies in knowing how to interpret, question, and apply information using one’s own judgement.
Is traditional education shaping brilliant young people, or young people dependent on immediate answers?
I think we are still in the process of understanding the full consequences of this new reality, but the risk certainly exists. We live in a culture of immediacy where speed is often prioritised over reflection. The educational challenge today is ensuring students do not become accustomed to consuming answers without developing independent thinking. That was precisely the purpose of the study: introducing small thinking routines into classrooms to strengthen analytical skills and encourage students not to simply accept the answers AI provides.
Which human skills will be impossible for algorithms to replace over the next 20 years?
Deeply human skills will remain impossible to fully automate: empathy, creativity, ethical judgement, intuition, leadership, the ability to navigate complex situations, and coping with uncertainty in a rapidly changing world. These are precisely the competencies that international companies already value most highly. The World Economic Forum predicts that nearly 40% of today’s core skills will change by 2030, highlighting analytical thinking, creativity, adaptability, and lifelong learning as essential skills for the future.
Can artificial intelligence make young people intellectually “lazy”?
Possibly, if it is used as a substitute for thinking. Artificial intelligence is an extraordinary tool, but if students constantly delegate cognitive effort to it, they risk losing essential abilities such as perseverance, problem-solving, and tolerance for frustration in situations where technology cannot support them.
What happens in a child’s brain when they stop reflecting and simply copy answers generated by AI?
When a child stops reflecting and simply copies answers, they stop activating fundamental learning processes: analysis, connecting ideas, decision-making, and deep memory retention. Learning stops being active and becomes superficial, and if that becomes habitual over time, particularly during formative years, it could lead to undesirable long-term consequences.
Are we facing the greatest educational transformation since the Industrial Revolution?
Yes, we are probably experiencing one of the greatest educational transformations in modern history. Artificial intelligence is not only changing the tools we use; it is changing our relationship with knowledge itself and forcing us to rethink what learning truly means. The Nord Anglia Education and Boston College study is one of the most significant global contributions in this field, and it provides us with valuable insight that we can apply directly with our students. What we are seeing is that when students incorporate metacognitive thinking into their daily routines and develop these skills, it fundamentally changes how prepared they are to face adult life.
Why is critical thinking becoming the new “gold” of the 21st century?
Because in a world saturated with information and automated answers, the real differentiator will be the ability to identify inconsistencies, question sources, and build independent judgement. Critical thinking is becoming an essential life skill because it will ultimately distinguish people from others when everyone has access to the same AI-generated responses.
What is the greatest danger of a generation that never learns to question?
The greatest danger is the loss of intellectual autonomy. A generation that does not question may become accustomed to accepting information without analysing it and end up constantly dependent on external validation.
Is technological speed advancing faster than young people’s emotional maturity?
Young people now have immediate access to enormous amounts of information before fully developing the emotional and cognitive tools needed to manage it in a healthy way. That is where the role of parents, guardians, and schools becomes incredibly important. We have a responsibility to guide our communities through this process. Fortunately, we are part of an educational group that takes this challenge very seriously and has made it a priority to research, study, and develop the necessary tools to address it in the best possible way.
Are we overstimulating children with information and underestimating the importance of reflection?
We are surrounded by constant stimuli and often leave very little space for pause and deep reflection. And yet meaningful learning requires precisely that: time to think. If adults struggle with this, it is even more understandable that children might as well.
Can a student achieve excellent grades and still be poorly prepared for real life?
A student may achieve excellent academic results, which is important and demonstrates that certain skills are well developed, but still lack other fundamental abilities essential for navigating real life.
At our school, we place a strong emphasis on social and emotional learning (SEL) because we believe that true success goes beyond grades. We intentionally develop skills such as resilience, self-awareness, empathy, collaboration, and adaptability. Students are guided to understand and manage their emotions, build healthy relationships, resolve conflicts constructively, and respond positively to challenges and setbacks. These competencies help them become not only effective learners, but also balanced, confident individuals.
At the same time, we strongly promote critical thinking as a key pillar of our educational approach. Students are encouraged to question, analyze, and reflect rather than simply memorize information. They learn to evaluate different perspectives, make informed decisions, and solve problems creatively
Through this combination of academic rigor, social and emotional development, and critical thinking, we ensure that students are not only prepared for exams, but also equipped to face real-life situations with confidence, independence, and sound judgment.
What is the difference between an intelligent student and a student capable of thinking deeply?
I believe all students are intelligent; what matters is recognising the areas where their specific strengths are most relevant. That said, artificial intelligence can generate answers, but it cannot decide when it is worth persevering, when it is necessary to change strategy, or when to trust one’s own judgement. Those decisions remain deeply human. In the future, the children who thrive will not necessarily be those who accumulate the most information, but those capable of recognising when something does not quite fit, pausing to think rather than reacting automatically, deciding independently what to try next, and staying with a problem long enough to work through it. Those are precisely the skills that will make the difference in the age of artificial intelligence.
Are we shaping future leaders, or merely executors of instructions?
That is one of the most important questions we should be asking ourselves today. The world no longer needs only people who follow instructions; it needs people capable of leading, questioning, and innovating.
At the end of the study, almost 100% of teachers agreed that this way of teaching and learning helps students succeed not only academically, but also beyond school. It is not about creating noisier classrooms, but about fostering more thoughtful questions, clearer explanations, and greater determination to persevere when things become difficult.
How does artificial intelligence affect teenagers’ self-esteem and intellectual autonomy?
It can have an impact if teenagers begin relying on technology to constantly validate their decisions or abilities, leading them to question themselves whenever they face situations where they cannot access it. That is why strengthening confidence and independent judgement is so important. One of the most interesting findings from the study was that a large majority of students who internalised these thinking routines reported a greater awareness of their own strengths, increased confidence when facing uncertainty, greater independence, and a better understanding of how they themselves learn, and those are skills no algorithm can replicate.
What signs indicate that a young person has stopped developing independent thinking?
When they avoid questioning, constantly depend on external answers, fear making mistakes, or struggle to defend their own well-argued opinions. Something we see quite often, and many parents may recognise this, is students becoming blocked when working on assignments, not because the task is too difficult or because they lack knowledge, but because they do not know where to begin, which idea to choose, or how to start developing it. Those kinds of blocks can suggest a lack of trust in their own judgement.
Can technological dependence reduce the capacity for emotional resilience?
Yes, especially if young people become accustomed to resolving every difficulty immediately. Resilience develops by facing challenges, not avoiding them.
What role will empathy and human intuition play in an economy dominated by automation?
They will have enormous value. In an automated economy, the most human skills will be precisely those that are hardest to replicate technologically.
The ability to build trust, communicate authentically, and create meaningful relationships will be indispensable in any professional environment.
At the same time, human intuition will play a critical role in navigating ambiguity and making decisions in contexts where data alone is insufficient.
These strengths are closely linked to essential competencies such as collaboration, ethical reasoning, adaptability, and creativity. Together, they empower individuals not just to function in the workplace, but to lead, inspire, and innovate.
Ultimately, in a world shaped by automation, it will not be what makes us similar to machines that defines our value, but what makes us deeply human: our capacity to connect, to care, to understand, and to act with purpose and insight.
What impact does teaching children to reflect on their mistakes, rather than punishing them for being wrong, have?
It has a very positive impact. Teaching children to reflect on mistakes helps develop resilience, autonomy, and a much healthier relationship with learning and frustration.
Is curiosity being lost in the age of instant answers?
Curiosity still exists, but it certainly risks weakening if students become accustomed to receiving immediate answers without exploring or investigating for themselves.
Which countries are truly leading the education of the future, and why?
The most advanced education systems today are those that have managed to balance academic excellence, wellbeing and resilience, creativity, and global connection. However, the education of the future depends less on the country and more on each school’s ability to prepare students for a constantly changing world. This means combining a strong academic foundation with experiences that foster creativity, personal purpose, emotional wellbeing, and a global mindset.
At Hamelin-Laie, we believe that future success comes from helping each student reach their full academic potential while developing the skills, confidence, and international perspective needed to create their own future.
Which professions will be the most human and the hardest for AI to replace?
Professions linked to leadership, creativity, mental health, education, innovation, strategy, and human relationships will continue to have a strong human component.
Will artificial intelligence increase inequality between those who know how to think and those who only know how to execute?
That risk certainly exists. The ability to think critically and adapt may become one of the greatest competitive advantages of the future.
What mistakes are many parents making today regarding the use of technology at home?
Very often the mistake is focusing solely on limiting screen time, rather than supporting how technology is used and what skills children are developing around it.
How can a family foster critical thinking from childhood?
By encouraging open conversations, questions, reading, debate, and spaces where children can argue, reflect, and build their own opinions.
Which daily habits strengthen a child’s intellectual autonomy?
Reading, conversing, reflecting, solving problems, making mistakes, and taking small decisions independently all greatly strengthen intellectual autonomy
What skills are international companies already looking for in young talent?
International companies are looking for adaptable profiles capable of continuous learning, collaboration, leadership, and solving complex problems.
What will be the difference between a professional trained in critical thinking and one educated solely to execute tasks?
A professional trained in critical thinking will be capable of adapting, leading, and innovating. Someone trained only to execute tasks will struggle much more in a constantly changing environment.
What urgent advice should every parent hear today about their children’s educational future?
The most urgent advice for parents is this: don’t prepare your children simply to pass exams – prepare them to adapt, learn and lead in a world that is constantly changing.
Academic excellence will always matter. But families should also look for schools that develop creativity, resilience, wellbeing and a global perspective alongside strong academic outcomes.
What should many schools immediately stop doing if they want to prepare real leaders?
If a school punishes mistakes more than it rewards curiosity, it is unlikely to be preparing tomorrow’s leaders.
Great leaders do not emerge from repeating correct answers, but from learning to ask better questions, take responsibility, and face uncertainty with judgment and confidence. At Hamelin, we understand that developing leaders is about helping each student build self-confidence, a sense of purpose, and the ability to make a positive impact on their environment.
How can a young person develop their own judgement amid so much information overload?
By learning to question sources and compare information before accepting quick answers as absolute truths. One of the exercises introduced through this study invited students to pause, reflect, and explain how they were thinking before responding too quickly, through a routine known as See, Think, Wonder. The goal was to encourage students to ask themselves what they were seeing in a response, what it meant, and what questions they still had. Over time, these questions stopped feeling like guided exercises and instead became habits of thinking. Faced with a project or problem, students stopped immediately seeking external validation or the “correct” answer and instead began asking themselves what they already knew, what they could infer, and what the next possible step might be. That ability to pause, reflect, adjust, and try again is what we call metacognition, a key skill for developing autonomy and independent thinking in the age of artificial intelligence.
Are we advising young people to study careers that may disappear before they graduate?
Rather than worrying about specific careers, we should focus on developing people who are capable of continually reinventing themselves.
What profiles will major international companies be looking for in 2030?
They will be looking for people with critical thinking skills, creativity, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and a commitment to lifelong learning.
