NEW YORK: US academician and author Esther Wojcicki delivers a powerful critique of traditional education models at the UN 100 Disruptors Summit, urging a shift from rote memorization to project-based, entrepreneurial learning.
“More memorization and testing penalize students who are creative, innovative, or unwilling to follow rigid instructions. I’ve devoted my life to changing the education system, not just in the US but worldwide,” Wojcicki says.
WATCH HERE: Renowned Educator & Teacher Esther Wojcicki On Rethinking Education| Rohan Dua Reports
She identifies parenting and teaching habits as barriers to reform. “We tend to parent the way we were parented and teach the way we were taught. The least effective way to teach is lecture — students retain just 1%. The second least effective is through books. And yet, universities rely on both,” she explains.
Instead, Wojcicki champions peer-to-peer, project-based learning, which she reframes as “entrepreneurial training.” “You teach kids to create a project, let them work on it, make mistakes, and revise. That’s how real learning happens,” she emphasizes.
She recalls coining the phrase “just do it and revise”, later adapted in Silicon Valley as “move fast and break things.” “In my classes, students write for magazines, newspapers, television, and film. They do the work, they revise, and that’s where the learning comes in. Mistakes shouldn’t be punished with grades — they should be seen as opportunities to grow,” she says.
Wojcicki, who founded the largest media program in the United States with 700 students annually, highlights how hands-on practice fosters creativity, resilience, and critical thinking — qualities she argues are missing from today’s education system.
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Her call at the summit underscores the urgency of transforming education globally to prepare future generations for a rapidly changing world.
The We The Planet UNGA 100 Disruptors Summit was moderated and chaired by Kunal Sood, founder and executive chairman of We The Planet, who brought together global leaders, innovators, and changemakers to share bold ideas for shaping a sustainable and inclusive future.
