Timothy Yu, founder of edtech startup Snapask, and Federico Tan, co-founder and managing partner of marketing and communications firm Advisory Council, go head-to-head in this month’s great debate
Should crypto be part of the school curriculum, like maths or economics?
Timothy Yu: NO
“Crypto and blockchain technology are rapidly evolving and the speed of developing these concepts into a curriculum would never be fast enough to ensure that schools had an up-to-date understanding of it or even relevant applications for it. We at Snapask believe in education; however, the means of education is what matters most. [Building-based] schools are already becoming less significant for future generations, as most learning happens virtually, through games, entertainment and purpose-driven explorations. Most of us did not learn about the internet from school and this same principle holds true in the context of blockchain and crypto. In the future, our time spent in the virtual world will dominate, and decentralised ecosystems will become the standard protocol in all industries. We need to be equipped with basic knowledge of the technology and, more importantly, the applications and impacts of it. The internet is not short of valuable, community-vetted information to learn from. It doesn’t need to be taught in school when there is so much information available elsewhere.”
Federico Tan: YES
“With any new innovation comes sceptics, including me. I used to think that crypto and blockchain-related products like NFTs would be a passing trend, but I am completely converted. I believe this technological advancement is here to stay and will greatly influence the next generation. Crypto and Web3 are already sizeable industries that have created many jobs. Many talented people are discovering and developing this technology from nearly the same starting point. Before it’s too late, schools need to adapt their curriculums to introduce the economics and ecosystem around crypto. The underlying principles and rapid pace of development are shifting people’s mindsets and making a real cultural impact. I’ve never seen so many teenagers and 20-somethings dissect the roadmap of an NFT project and determine whether something is worth investing in or not. Of course, there is a lot of volatility and uncertainty related to crypto, but that is also why people need to be educated about it.”