The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 notes that technological development, the green transition, and economic and demographic changes are reshaping the global labour market. It tells us
that the most in-demand skills are not technical but rather human qualities such as emotional intelligence, teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving.
Creative thinking, resilience, flexibility, agility, curiosity, and a commitment to lifelong learning all have growing importance. These key skills cannot be learnt from textbooks alone. They are developed through lived experience. This is where the continued relevance of boarding schools lies.
Rethinking pastoral education
Recently, I was asked an interesting question: when you think about the future of boarding schools in secondary education, what comes to mind? The question arises from visible trends in the modern educational landscape, where AI tutors and virtual classrooms are being integrated into learning.
With online platforms streaming knowledge everywhere and young people often studying alone in front of screens, such doubts are understandable. In this context, let us consider a more human setting. Picture a school where teenagers not only study algebra or history but also learn how to live with others, how to build relationships, handle conflict, manage time, and understand themselves. This is what boarding schools offer. Research from Harvard shows that students in residential settings develop greater resilience, self-control, and stronger social skills—precisely the qualities that employers value in a fast-changing world. Boarding schools, therefore, do not merely prepare students for examinations; they prepare them for life.
The power of relationships The truth is that human beings are social creatures; we are at our very best when we are working together in concert. This is true of many activities, including learning and the acquisition of skills. Skills do not grow in isolation; they develop through relationships. One of the great strengths of boarding education is the depth of understanding that teachers and pastoral staff have of their students. Teachers and house parents interact with pupils throughout the day — in class, during meals, in the library, on the sports field, during study time, and across the campus. Teachers and pupils know each other as individuals.
Research confirms that when teachers know their students well, outcomes improve. Educator John Hattie, who analysed over 80,000 studies on effective schooling, found that teacher–student relationships have an effect size of 0.72. To put this in perspective, 0.40 is considered to represent the impact of about a year of schooling. A score of 0.72 is nearly double that, ranking among the most powerful influences on learning. When pupils feel known, trusted, and supported, they learn more deeply and progress faster. This is the kind of relationship boarding education makes possible.
The Gift of Time
In large cities such as Bengaluru, the average teenager spends about three hours a day commuting to school. That is fifteen hours a week — nearly two full school days lost. Boarding education gives that time back. The question then becomes: what could young people achieve with those fifteen hours? They could join a debate team, practise an instrument, code an application, work on a robotics or art project, or train for their favourite sport.
Research shows that students who engage in extracurricular activities develop clearer career interests, stronger motivation, and better long-term outcomes. Mastering a subject, skill, or sport requires both time and guidance. Boarding provides students with the time, the facilities, and the coaches and mentors to help explore their talents and then take those talents towards mastery. It offers the structure and opportunity for young people to learn not only their subjects but also themselves.
Serious Fun
The research all points to learning happening faster, better, and deeper when pupils feel known and supported and when they know that help is not far away if they run into difficulties. Importantly, the very best learning happens when things are a little difficult; it is important to develop strategies to navigate those challenges.
They become far less daunting when the serious business of learning and development is made fun by gifted educators working with pupils who have positive relationships with one another and a shared sense of purpose. True togetherness comes from bonding, mutual care, and moments of shared fun that create memories for life. Boarding schools offer this kind of purposeful enjoyment, which I refer to as serious fun. Students might take part in an impromptu debate in the common room, a weekend hackathon, or a kickabout under floodlights.
These activities are not distractions from learning; they offer excellent opportunities to learn and develop. Research in positive psychology shows that joy, a sense of belonging, and play are crucial for motivation and personal growth. Some boarding schools implement this exceptionally well, drawing on educational approaches refined over generations.
The Future
Done well, boarding provides an exceptional environment in which to develop the human skills and character traits that employers value. It strengthens teacher–student relationships, which accelerate learning and personal development. It recovers time otherwise lost to commuting and reinvests it in growth. It provides facilities, mentors, and structured opportunities to support mastery. At their best, boarding schools are not just places to study; they are places to discover yourself and come to understand how to become who you want to be.
The author is the founding headmaster at Shrewsbury India
