The recently appointed Educational Chair for the Carbon County Partners for Progress, Bill Allison of Penn Forest Township, believes that the direction of education in the 21st century must recognize that, the World is Flat.

Allison, 65, a retired school principal and author of the historical whaling novel, Chase, is of cause not referring to a flat Earth that even in Columbus’ day was largely discounted. No, he is enamored by Thomas L. Friedman’s book, The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, now in its third edition. Friedman is a Pulitzer Prize winning author and foreign affaires columnist for the New York Times.

“In The World is Flat, Friedman lays out the preparation of American children for the future economy,” Allison said. “He describes what China and India have done to prepare for the changes.”

The expression “the world is flat” is a metaphor of the effect of globalization—which since the start of the 21st century, has leveled the playing field in terms of commerce and competition.

Allison points out that we now have a worldwide economy. “What has happened in India, China, Japan and Russia is constantly affecting the American economy,” he noted. “Go to Wal-Mart—see where the products are coming from. Why is this happening? The products that used to be made here or in the Lehigh Valley are now being made elsewhere.”

With the internet, outsourcing, insourcing, open sourcing, informing, supply-chaining, and personal digital devices becoming pervasive, the nature of work and the challenges to educate our children are changing at an ever-increasing pace.

“We can anticipate an entirely new economy within our children’s lifetimes,” Allison said. “How are we going to prepare them to be flexible enough for this new economy?”

Allison feels that students need to have an education that prepares them to be flexible. “They will be lifetime learners because there will be new information and new technology coming within their lifetimes,” he said. “They should expect to be able to change jobs several times within their working lives.”

“Will they be prepared for the next job?” he asked. “Will they understand and feel comfortable in a continuous stream of training and education within that lifetime?”

“There has to be a respect for learning, and enthusiasm for learning that begins not just at the schoolhouse door. That has to begin from infancy, in the homes, in the daycare centers, in the preschools and by kindergarten,” Allison noted. “Our children have to arrive at the schoolhouse door already prepared to learn, and be enthusiastic about it.”

He also believes our children need to be technologically advanced. “The use of computers will be second nature to them.”

Allison also feels students must be readers. “Reading is not going to disappear,” he said. “They have to express themselves well, orally as well as in writing, in order to communicate with other people.”

As an example of the new economy, he cites his four children. His oldest son enjoyed mechanics and opened a diesel repair business. His second son started a software business and his third son is a trainer, working for his second son. Among his sons, two are entrepreneurs and two are involved in technology. His daughter is studying information sciences and technology. She interned last summer at Air Products where she worked to incorporate new employees in the European Union.

Allison is currently working with Susan Sterling of the Dimmick Library on a reading initiative called Jim Thorpe Reads. The concept is to have the community select a book for everyone in the community to read—from older high schoolers through adults and then set up a discussion. There would be four levels of books: adults, teen, elementary and pre-schoolers to promote reading as a family affair.

“I’m interesting in promoting education,” said Allison. “Not only as chairman of the educational task force but taking initiatives now to help promote education locally.”