Gen Z doesn’t have an attention problem, education has a relevance problem, says educator Dr. Amol Gawande

“‘Students can’t focus’ is the easiest explanation, and I don’t think it’s true,” said Dr. Gawande. “The same student who drifts through a lecture will stay late to finish a live project. Gen Z notices very quickly when time is being spent without a clear return. That’s a design problem, not a discipline problem.”

Gen Z, the generation now filling Indian colleges and entering the workforce, grew up with information available within seconds. According to Dr. Gawande, this changes what students need from education.

“When the answer to most factual questions is a few seconds away, the answer is no longer what’s scarce,” he said. “What’s scarce is knowing which question to ask, whether a source can be trusted, and what to do once you know. That is what education must now build.”

The pressure is also coming from the job market. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 found that employers expect close to two-fifths of workers’ core skills to change by 2030.

“A degree that certifies a fixed body of knowledge can’t keep pace with that on its own,” said Dr. Gawande. “An education that builds the capacity to keep learning can.”

Dr. Gawande outlined three changes he believes institutions can make immediately:

Faster feedback. “Waiting until the end-of-term exam to find out how you’re doing feels very slow to a generation used to instant responses. Short cycles of attempt, feedback and improvement keep students engaged and learning.”

Visible purpose. “Every module should answer ‘why does this matter, and where will I use it?’ in the first week, not the last. Give students a real problem and some ownership of the outcome, and engagement follows.”

AI-aware assessment. “AI can now complete many traditional assignments. Banning it doesn’t work, and ignoring it means we end up grading the tool. We should teach students to use AI openly, and assess the judgement around it: the questions they ask, what they choose to trust, and the decisions they can defend.”

He added that the measure of an institution’s success should also change. “Too often we ask, ‘Did we finish the syllabus?’ The better question is, ‘What can our students actually do when they leave, and how do we know?’ That question should guide how courses are designed, taught and assessed.”

Dr. Gawande also believes Gen Z should be prepared to create opportunities, not only to compete for them. “Not every student will start a company,” he said. “But every student should learn to think like someone who could: spot a problem, test a solution cheaply, and learn from what doesn’t work.”

Dr. Gawande began his career in India’s securities markets before moving into management education and academic leadership in Pune, and later founded Brookstone Institute of Global Studies in Dubai. He has 30 publications, including research on accreditation quality in Indian higher education and on the early detection of mental-health concerns among college students.

About Brookstone Institute of Global Studies

Brookstone Institute of Global Studies is a KHDA-approved professional training institute in Dubai, focused on practical learning, global exposure and industry-integrated programmes. www.brookstone.ae

Learn more about Dr. Amol Gawande at www.dramolgawande.com