As the school year approaches, we are reaching into The So What from BCG archives. Join us as we revisit our examination of why education remains rooted in a bygone era of neat orderly rows of desks and lesson plans, even as the world races ahead into the metaverse and beyond. In this wide-ranging conversation first published in June 2022, Leila Hoteit, managing director and senior partner who leads BCG’s education, employment, and welfare work, argues for a lifelong approach to learning inside and outside the classroom—one that teaches people to solve hard problems and develop soft skills.

She talks about why students should think about the fairytale “Little Red Riding Hood” from the perspective of the wolf, how the technology that treats autism can help others learn better, and why people from different cultures may come up with different answers to the famous trolley problem.