Paper short abstract:

The paper discusses the need for a paradigm shift in education in the Anthropocene to produce critical apocalyptic thinking to create the right kind of consciousness about this catastrophic yet revealing situation through local wisdom, technology and multi-disciplinary collaborative efforts.

Paper long abstract:

The paper discusses the need for a paradigm shift in education in the Anthropocene, a geological epoch defined by human impact on the planet. The author compliments Bowers’ idea that the rate at which Earth's glaciers are melting is outpacing the pace of change in education. Presently, education is not able to keep up with or even recognize the socio-ecological contexts that are evolving and the associated crises. Investigations into culture and education are trapped in a "pre-ecological" mindset that disregards the environmental contexts at both local and planetary scales. The paper suggests that education should focus on interdisciplinary knowledge, critical thinking, and the use of technology to make education free and accessible for all. The author argues that the current denial of the Anthropocene by some world leaders is a major obstacle to addressing environmental issues and that education has a crucial role to play in creating awareness and promoting ecological consciousness. The current education system lacks ecological and environmental consciousness, and there is a need to design an education system that is Anthropocene-conscious. Lastly, drawing from McKenzie Wark’s and other scholars’ work, the paper discusses access to education in the new emerging class relationship and the importance of free education and easy access to educational resources. The paper concludes by emphasizing the (nostalgic) ideas about incorporating ecological local wisdom in the education system today to enhance provincial thinking that is missing from academia today by drawing from anthropological fieldwork in Chitral, Pakistan on Pastoralist livelihood.