With the rise of technology, the hard skills you are learning today might just become obsolete soon. To succeed, there is something else to focus on, Emotional Intelligence.

In this article, Raj Ganesh, the founder and CEO of Arise ‘n’ Shine shares the importance of emotional intelligence and its necessity in our current education system.

Emotional  Intelligence is all about feelings and emotions – being aware of them, understanding them, having control over them, recognizing them in others and being able to help others sort through them. Research shows a person’s emotional quotient or EQ can be an effective indicator for potential success than their IQ.

A school can be an emotional caldron. Whether you are a teacher or a student, nurturing emotional intelligence is the recipe for success.

We all experience numerous emotions. They help us survive, thrive and avoid danger. They play an important role in how we think and behave. Typical primary emotions include fear, anger, sadness and happiness.

The two emotional states which carry a strong burden are fear and shame. Eight year old Anita, a third grade student, goes to school most of the time with fear; fear of pushy parents, fear of teachers and classmates. When her teacher asks her to explain a concept, she responds in incorrect English. Her classmates make fun of her and her teacher humiliates her for her poor communication. Anita is hurt and feels ashamed and worthless. The class environment failed to demonstrate empathy and motivation for Anita to perform better.

On the other hand a teacher with social-emotional competencies would not quickly resort to anger; she would recognize the student’s emotions and have insight into what’s causing them. Empathy is the antidote to shame. This can promote a caring and supportive relationship between the teacher and the student.

Every child deserves to feel safe, loved and empowered at school. A teacher has the responsibility to create a classroom environment that nurtures the student to be cheerful, appreciates them for being honest, rewards them for being kind, encourages them to make efforts and take risks. As they grow with a strong EQ foundation, they will be able to develop a positive self-esteem, strong social skills, handle problems and pursue their dreams.

Our education system has always focused on academic competence. Students who perform well at school are not able to socialize, think independently and solve problems. Their emotional intelligence was not nurtured at the early age. Unlike our traditional education system, emotional Intelligence helps students to face the tests of life and not a life of tests. To make this transformation happen, we need to nurture and empower teachers with more EQ competence than IQ.