Tomorrow’s Innovators Need More Than Rote Learning: What Reggio Emilia Gets Right About Education

Tomorrow’s innovators will need far more than the ability to memorise facts. Yet, many education systems remain focused on standardised testing and rote learning. In Singapore, while academic performance remains a key focus, there are visible shifts in how success is defined. The Straits Times launched its "More than Grades" series on May 25, 2025. The Ministry of Education stopped revealing the top scorers along with their grades, the stories that started appearing in the media also began to change. No longer was it about straight-A students and overachievers. These are clear signs of an evolving mindset. That said, academic rigour continues to be a key pillar in Singapore’s education system.

“The ability to learn by yourself, discover things, create new value propositions are things we want to inculcate,” said Mr Chan Chun Sing in a separate The Straits Times interview. 

This shift is also reflected in the choices of Singapore’s highest-performing students. A Ministry of Education report noted that about 6 to 7 per cent of Integrated Programme students leave before completing the six-year course to pursue other tracks and interests.

Ngee Ann Polytechnic student Tan Zhi En, 18, left River Valley High in JC1 despite scoring a string of As in her Secondary 4 exams. “I found it all very academic-focused and my peers were already deciding between law, medicine or accountancy, while I wanted to explore some more,” she said.“My stint at a vet practice made me want to explore biomedical sciences further, but not by taking up subjects such as biology for the A levels. I realised that I liked learning by doing, so that’s when I decided to head to Ngee Ann Poly to study biomedical science.”

Inquiry-based approaches, inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, offer a compelling alternative that nurtures learners who are flexible, reflective, and equipped to tackle complex, open-ended challenges in a rapidly changing world.

The Reggio Emilia philosophy originated in northern Italy after World War II, when educators and families in the town of Reggio Emilia came together to reimagine what school could be. At its heart lies a radical belief in children’s innate resourcefulness. Loris Malaguzzi, its founder, argued that children are “extremely well‑equipped from birth, resourceful and capable,” deserving recognition as citizens with rights from their very first days, not just upon reaching adulthood. By viewing learning as a co-constructed journey rather than a one-way transmission of knowledge, Reggio-inspired classrooms celebrate children’s curiosities, from which educators design intentional learning experiences. Central to this approach is the concept of the environment as a “third teacher.” Traditional classrooms often rely on plastic toys or pre-packaged kits; in contrast, Reggio-inspired settings are stocked with natural, open-ended materials, such as clay, shells, wood, mirrors, and magnifiers, that invite experimentation and wonder. When a child holds a piece of driftwood or peers through a magnifying glass, they are prompted to ask “What if…?” rather than “What’s the right answer?” Educators observe and document each child’s explorations through photographs, sketches, and transcribed conversations. This pedagogical documentation serves not only as an assessment but as a reflective tool, enabling teachers to shape future projects in response to emerging interests and curiosities.

Consider a project in which young learners design and build miniature “snowstorm shelters.” Beyond practising early engineering concepts, testing structural stability, measuring angles, and calculating materials, they also refine essential interpersonal skills: negotiating roles, resolving conflicts, and persevering when initial plans collapse under the weight of falling sand or clay. These experiences cultivate resilience and creative problem solving far beyond what a worksheet could achieve, embedding understanding through hands‑on, collective inquiry.

Inquiry‑based education also transforms the role of families. Instead of homework being merely “tasks to complete,” parents become co-learners, guiding with open-ended questions such as “What did you notice today?” or “What might happen if…?” When a child recounts their classroom discoveries over dinner, the kitchen table becomes an extension of the learning environment. This partnership extends the culture of curiosity into the home, reinforcing children’s enthusiasm and modeling the very skills of listening, wondering, and reflecting what we seek in today’s society.

Educators, in turn, shift from being dispensers of content to co‑researchers in each child’s journey. They cultivate a stance of curiosity themselves, asking “Why did you choose that material?” or “How could we explore this idea together?”.

This approach emphasises a reciprocal learning environment where both educators and children learn from each other, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas and experiences. Children learn best when they feel valued, understood, and supported.

Being open to discovery is not easy. It is a skill developed over time, built on trust, and polished through ongoing professional reflection. Yet the rewards are plain to see: learners who enter the classroom quietly observing soon leave buzzing with questions, eager to connect dots that even their educators hadn’t noticed.

This holistic approach embeds rigor in an authentic way. Academic goals are neither abandoned nor secondary; rather, they are woven seamlessly into projects that hold genuine meaning for learners. A study of plant growth might emerge from a child’s fascination with a seed sprouting on a windowsill; mathematics unfolds naturally as children track measurements and patterns; language skills develop as they describe their process and reflect on outcomes. Because each project springs from learners’ own questions, motivation soars and understanding deepens.

As Singapore and many of its neighbouring Asian countries continue to diversify their economies and advance in technological and societal innovation, our greatest asset will be a generation of thinkers, changemakers, and collaborators. Individuals who can navigate uncertainty, anticipate emerging challenges, and design solutions to problems not yet visible.

Inquiry-based, Reggio-inspired education provides a powerful framework for cultivating these qualities. By treating children as capable protagonists, designing environments that spark inquiry, and trusting learners to follow their questions, educators can help fulfill bold ambitions.

The challenges of tomorrow won’t be solved by perfect answers to yesterday’s questions. They will be addressed by curious minds and thinkers who were given the time, environment, support and trust to wonder. If we are serious about fostering true innovation, we must commit to educational models that honour children’s potential from day one, models that put inquiry, respect, and collaboration at the centre of learning rather than the periphery. In doing so, we will equip our young people not merely to survive in a changing world, but to lead its transformation.

Curious to see how the Reggio Emilia approach comes to life in our classrooms?
We’d love to share more about how inquiry-based learning nurtures confident, capable, and creative thinkers.