What would we want a baby born today to have gained from our education system 20 years from now?

That is the question being posed to parents and school and department leaders by an educational consultant who has been hosting meetings on the subject this week.

Dave Harris, an author and former primary and secondary school head teacher, is wanting to encourage a debate that will help the island generate ideas on what they want their education system to look like in future.

The UK-based consultant also met with preschools and hosted a meeting at the University College Isle of Man.

Mr Harris brings his knowledge of schools he’s worked with in 14 other countries in addition to being actively involved in the island’s schools for about 10 years.

’Everyone recognises that the education system everywhere is not fit for the next 20 years. It needs something new,’ he said.

’People are very keen on getting a balance of not just knowledge, but skills and having a passion and a great attitude.

’I’ve worked in 15 countries and my favourite is the Isle of Man. Here they have the freedom to do things differently. There’s a real passion about the place and being small it has the ability to make big decisions to have a great impact on the future for kids.

He added: ’I have a huge belief the island can be something exceptional in education. Education feels more important here than it does when you’re not in such an isolated place.’

The aim of the meetings, he said, is to ’get a consensus of what everybody wants’ before going through people’s ideas and turning them into concepts.

He will speak to schoolchildren next month before sending a report to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture.