Skills Children Will Need in 2035: Beyond Coding and AI

Understanding skills children will need in 2035

The world children will enter as adults may look very different from the world we know today.

Artificial intelligence is becoming part of education, business, communication, research and everyday life. Tasks that once required significant human effort can increasingly be supported or automated by technology.

This naturally leads parents to ask:

What should my child learn today to be ready for tomorrow?

The answer is not simply coding.

It is not simply AI.

And it is certainly not about predicting exactly which job a child will have in 2035.

Instead, education needs to help children develop capabilities that allow them to learn, adapt, think, communicate, create and make decisions in changing situations.

Technology will continue to change.

The ability to learn and respond to change can last much longer.

So, what skills will matter most?

1. Critical Thinking

One of the most important skills children can develop is the ability to think critically.

Critical thinking means going beyond accepting information at face value.

A child who thinks critically asks:

Is this true?

How do we know?

What evidence supports it?

Could there be another explanation?

What information might be missing?

This becomes especially important when children can access enormous amounts of information instantly.

AI can provide an answer.

Search engines can provide thousands of results.

Social media can provide countless opinions.

But children still need to decide:

What should I believe?

Why Critical Thinking Matters in the AI Era

AI can generate convincing information very quickly.

But an AI-generated response is not automatically correct.

A child therefore needs to develop the habit of checking, comparing and questioning information.

For example, instead of simply asking:

“What did AI say?”

a stronger learner asks:

“Is the answer accurate?”

“How can I verify it?”

“What evidence supports it?”

This ability will remain valuable regardless of which technology children use in the future.

2. Communication

Being able to communicate clearly will remain important even as technology becomes more capable.

Children need to learn how to:

Explain ideas

Ask questions

Write clearly

Speak confidently

Listen carefully

Present information

Participate in discussions

Adapt communication to different audiences

AI can generate text.

But communication is more than generating words.

A child still needs to understand:

What am I trying to say?

Who am I saying it to?

Why does it matter?

How can I make the idea clear?

Communication Is Also About Listening

Good communication is not only speaking.

Children need to learn how to listen to another person’s perspective.

They may disagree with someone while still understanding their reasoning.

They may receive feedback without becoming defensive.

They may change their opinion when presented with better evidence.

These are human capabilities that technology cannot simply substitute for.

3. Creativity

If AI can generate an image, write a story or produce a piece of music, does creativity become less important?

The opposite may be true.

As AI makes content generation easier, human creativity may become more valuable in deciding:

What should be created?

Why should it be created?

Who is it for?

What makes it meaningful?

How can it be different?

Creativity involves more than producing an output.

It involves imagination, experimentation, connection and judgement.

Children Need Opportunities to Create

A child shouldn’t always be given the correct way to complete a task.

Sometimes they need an opportunity to ask:

“What else could I do?”

For example, instead of asking every child to build exactly the same model, a teacher could provide a problem and allow children to develop different solutions.

There may be several correct approaches.

That is where creativity begins.

4. Collaboration

Many important problems cannot be solved effectively by one person working alone.

Children therefore need to learn how to collaborate.

This means learning to:

Share ideas

Divide responsibilities

Listen to others

Give feedback

Receive feedback

Resolve disagreements

Combine different perspectives

Work towards a common goal

A child’s ability to work with people who think differently can become extremely valuable in a changing workplace.

Collaboration Is More Than Group Work

Simply putting children into groups does not automatically teach collaboration.

Children need to learn how to:

Discuss

Negotiate

Explain

Listen

Compromise

Contribute

Take responsibility

A meaningful group activity can therefore become a learning experience in itself.

5. Adaptability

The world of 2035 cannot be predicted perfectly.

Some technologies that are common today may disappear.

New technologies may emerge.

Some jobs may change.

New roles may be created.

Children therefore need the ability to adapt.

Adaptability means being able to say:

“This is different from what I expected. Let me learn how to deal with it.”

Instead of becoming dependent on one fixed method, adaptable learners can explore new approaches.

Why Adaptability Starts With Learning

Adaptability is not simply about being comfortable with change.

It is about knowing how to respond to change.

A child who has learned how to:

Ask questions

Find information

Try different strategies

Learn from mistakes

Seek feedback

Practise new skills

is better prepared to learn something unfamiliar later.

6. Problem Framing

Problem-solving gets a lot of attention.

But before solving a problem, children need to understand what the actual problem is.

This is called problem framing.

Consider a child saying:

“Our classroom is too noisy.”

That is an observation.

But what exactly is the problem?

Is it:

Too many students talking?

Poor classroom organisation?

A difficult transition between activities?

Lack of clear instructions?

Something else?

Different definitions of the problem can lead to completely different solutions.

Why Problem Framing Matters

AI can generate solutions very quickly.

But if the problem is poorly defined, even a brilliant-looking solution may solve the wrong problem.

Children therefore need opportunities to ask:

What exactly is happening?

Why is it happening?

Who is affected?

What are we actually trying to change?

Only then should they begin searching for solutions.

7. Judgement

AI can provide recommendations.

Search engines can rank information.

Algorithms can make predictions.

But people still need to make decisions.

Judgement involves considering:

Evidence

Context

Consequences

Values

Risks

Different perspectives

A child may eventually have access to more information than any previous generation.

But more information does not automatically mean better decisions.

Children need to learn how to use information wisely.

8. Emotional Intelligence

Technology can process information.

But children also need to understand people.

Emotional intelligence includes abilities such as:

Recognising emotions

Managing emotions

Understanding others

Showing empathy

Building relationships

Responding appropriately to social situations

These skills influence how children work with classmates, teachers, family members and future colleagues.

Why Emotional Intelligence Matters

Imagine two people with identical technical skills.

One can communicate respectfully, listen to others and handle disagreement constructively.

The other cannot.

Technical ability alone does not determine how effectively someone works with people.

That is why emotional intelligence should not be treated as an optional “soft skill.”

It is part of functioning effectively in the real world.

9. Curiosity

Children naturally ask questions.

Why is the sky blue?

How does a magnet work?

What happens if I change this?

Why did that happen?

Education should not eliminate this curiosity.

It should strengthen it.

Curiosity encourages children to investigate rather than simply accept information.

Curiosity in an AI-Enabled World

When information is instantly available, the advantage may not be knowing where the answer is.

It may be having the curiosity to ask:

“What else can I discover?”

A curious child does not stop at the first answer.

They explore.

They compare.

They test.

They ask follow-up questions.

They investigate.

10. Learning Agility

Perhaps one of the most important abilities children can develop is the ability to learn how to learn.

Learning agility means being able to:

Learn something new

Identify what you don’t understand

Try a strategy

Notice whether it works

Change the strategy when necessary

Learn from feedback

Apply the learning somewhere else

This is particularly important because children may need to learn many new technologies and skills throughout their lives.

A Child Who Can Learn Can Keep Adapting

Imagine two students.

Student A

Knows many facts but struggles whenever the situation changes.

Student B

May not know everything but knows how to find information, ask questions, practise and improve.

In a changing world, Student B has an important advantage:

The ability to keep learning.

11. Independent Thinking

Children need to become comfortable making their own decisions.

That does not mean ignoring teachers, parents or experts.

It means being able to think:

“I understand the information. Now what do I think?”

This is particularly important when children use AI.

They should not simply accept an AI response because it sounds confident.

They need to form their own judgement.

12. Experimentation

Some of the best learning happens when children try something and discover what happens.

Experimentation teaches children to:

Predict → Test → Observe → Analyse → Adjust

For example, a science activity can ask children to predict what will happen before they conduct an experiment.

The prediction might be wrong.

That’s okay.

The child can then ask:

Why was my prediction different from the result?

This turns a mistake into information.

13. Resilience

Children will encounter:

Difficult problems

Failed attempts

Disappointing results

Unfamiliar situations

Feedback

Mistakes

Resilience does not mean never struggling.

It means being able to continue after difficulty.

A resilient learner can say:

“That didn’t work. Let me try another way.”

This mindset is valuable whether the child is learning mathematics, playing a sport, building something or eventually entering a changing workplace.

14. Reflection

Doing something is only part of learning.

Children also benefit from thinking about what they did.

Questions such as:

What worked?

What didn’t work?

Why?

What did I learn?

What would I change next time?

help children become more aware of their own learning.

This is particularly important for developing independent learners.

How Vikalp’s Methodology Connects With These Future Skills

Vikalp’s methodology is built around five stages:

Action → Reflection → Reinforcement → Application → Assessment.

This structure connects naturally with several of the capabilities children may need in an increasingly technology-driven world.

Action

Children learn through activities and hands-on experiences.

This creates opportunities to experiment, observe and explore.

Reflection

Children think about what they have done and connect the experience with everyday life.

This supports reasoning and self-awareness.

Reinforcement

Learning is strengthened through practice and interactive activities.

This supports persistence and mastery.

Application

Children apply their understanding to pen-and-paper work and daily-life situations.

This develops the ability to transfer knowledge into different contexts.

Assessment

Learning is continuously assessed so progress can be identified and further strategies can be planned.

This creates opportunities for children to understand what they know and where they need improvement.

Why This Matters for the Future

Vikalp’s current online-school approach describes learning as experiential and child-centric, with hands-on activities, facilitator guidance, personalised learning and physical as well as digital tools.

This is significant because preparing children for the future is not only about adding more technology to education.

It is also about creating opportunities for children to do things, question things, solve problems and apply what they learn.

Technology can support this process.

It should not replace it.

Coding Is Useful—But It Is Not Enough

Coding can be a valuable skill.

It can teach:

Logic

Sequencing

Problem-solving

Computational thinking

Persistence

But not every child will become a programmer.

And even programmers will need skills beyond coding.

They will need to:

Communicate with people.

Understand problems.

Work in teams.

Make decisions.

Understand users.

Adapt to new tools.

Evaluate information.

This is why future-ready education needs to go beyond technical skills.

AI Literacy Is Also Not Enough

Teaching children how to use AI tools is useful.

But AI literacy should include more than:

“Here is how to write a prompt.”

Children should also understand:

AI can make mistakes

AI outputs need evaluation

Data influences AI systems

Bias can exist

Privacy matters

AI should not replace independent thinking

Humans remain responsible for decisions

The goal is intelligent use, not maximum use.

The Most Valuable Combination

The future may not belong to children who are simply:

Good at technology

or

Good at traditional academics

Instead, children may benefit from combining:

Knowledge + Critical Thinking + Creativity + Communication + Collaboration + Adaptability + Judgement + Curiosity + Learning Agility

Technology then becomes an additional tool.

What Parents Can Do Today

Parents don’t need to predict the exact jobs their children will have in 2035.

Instead, they can encourage behaviours that strengthen future-ready skills.

Ask:

“What do you think?”

instead of only:

“What is the correct answer?”

Ask:

“How could you solve this differently?”

instead of:

“Did you get the right answer?”

Ask:

“What did you learn from the mistake?”

instead of:

“Why did you get it wrong?”

Ask:

“What would you like to investigate?”

instead of always deciding what the child should explore.

Small changes in everyday conversations can encourage deeper thinking.

What Schools Can Do

Schools can create more opportunities for:

Projects

Experiments

Discussions

Open-ended questions

Collaborative activities

Real-world problem-solving

Reflection

Presentations

Hands-on learning

Responsible technology use

The classroom should not become a place where children simply consume information from teachers, textbooks or AI.

It should become a place where children work with information and turn it into understanding.

The Future-Ready Child Is Not the Child Who Knows Everything

No child can know everything.

And no adult can either.

The more important question is:

Can the child learn what they don’t know?

Can they:

Ask?

Explore?

Try?

Fail?

Reflect?

Adapt?

Try again?

That ability can continue developing throughout life.

A Simple Future Skills Framework for Parents

Parents can think about future readiness through seven questions:

THINK

Can my child question information and reason independently?

CREATE

Can my child develop original ideas?

COMMUNICATE

Can my child explain their thoughts clearly?

COLLABORATE

Can my child work effectively with others?

ADAPT

Can my child adjust when something changes?

JUDGE

Can my child make thoughtful decisions?

LEARN

Can my child learn something new independently?

These abilities are broader than any single technology.

And that is exactly why they matter.

Final Thoughts

We cannot know exactly what the world of 2035 will look like.

But we can prepare children for uncertainty.

The answer is not to teach them every technology that exists today.

Some of those technologies may be completely different a decade from now.

Instead, we can help children develop capabilities that remain useful even when the tools change.

They need to learn to:

Think critically.

Communicate clearly.

Create confidently.

Collaborate effectively.

Adapt to change.

Frame problems.

Make thoughtful judgements.

Stay curious.

Learn independently.

Reflect and improve.

And yes, they should understand AI and technology.

But technology should be part of their toolkit—not the foundation of their identity as learners.

Vikalp’s experiential methodology reflects this broader view of learning: children engage through action, reflection, reinforcement, application and assessment, with an emphasis on active participation and connecting learning with real-life experiences.

Because the most future-ready child may not be the one who knows the most about today’s technology.

It may be the child who is curious enough to learn tomorrow’s technology, thoughtful enough to question it, and capable enough to learn without depending on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What skills will children need in 2035?

Important skills are likely to include critical thinking, communication, creativity, collaboration, adaptability, problem framing, judgement, emotional intelligence, curiosity and learning agility.

2. Will coding still be important in 2035?

Coding may remain valuable, but it should not be treated as the only future-ready skill. Children also need communication, creativity, problem-solving, judgement and the ability to adapt to changing technologies.

3. Is AI literacy important for children?

Yes. Children should understand what AI can do, where it can make mistakes, how to evaluate its outputs, how to protect privacy and when AI should or should not be used.

4. Why is critical thinking important in the age of AI?

AI can generate information quickly, but children still need to evaluate whether that information is accurate, relevant and reliable. Critical thinking helps them question and verify what they receive.

5. Why is creativity important if AI can create content?

AI can generate content, but humans still need to decide what is worth creating, why it matters, how it should be improved and what purpose it serves. Creativity involves ideas, judgement, experimentation and intention.

6. What is learning agility?

Learning agility is the ability to learn new things, recognise gaps in understanding, experiment with strategies, use feedback and adapt when circumstances change.

7. How can parents develop future-ready skills at home?

Parents can encourage children to ask questions, explain their reasoning, solve everyday problems, try different approaches, learn from mistakes, explore their interests and reflect on what they have learned.

8. How does Vikalp’s learning approach support future-ready skills?

Vikalp’s methodology follows Action, Reflection, Reinforcement, Application and Assessment, giving children opportunities to engage with concepts, reflect on their understanding, practise, apply knowledge and receive feedback.

9. Does Vikalp focus only on technology?

No. Vikalp’s current online-school approach combines digital learning with hands-on activities, physical learning tools, facilitator guidance and offline work.

10. What is more important for the future: knowledge or skills?

Children need both. Knowledge provides the foundation for understanding, while skills such as critical thinking, creativity, communication and application help children use that knowledge effectively.

11. What is the most important skill for an uncertain future?

There is no single answer, but the ability to keep learning and adapt is particularly valuable because children cannot know exactly what knowledge and technologies they will need in the future.

12. How should schools prepare children for 2035?

Schools can provide a balance of foundational knowledge with opportunities for experimentation, problem-solving, collaboration, communication, creativity, reflection and responsible technology use.

How Vikalp India Can Help

Vikalp India supports children through active, child-centred learning that combines facilitator guidance, hands-on activities, reflection and application. This approach helps children build understanding, confidence and practical learning habits alongside academic progress.

Related resources

For more parent guidance, read our article on adaptability skills for children.

For broader context, see UNESCO guidance on AI and education.