Will Kids Question the 7 AM School Bus?

Monday, 7:36 am, in Singapore.

I am walking from my apartment at the university housing to my office at the campus.

My AirPods are out of battery; I am all alone with my thoughts.

Walking past a Japanese school, I see a steady stream of school buses pulling in and out, filled with sleepy-eyed kids starting their day.

This familiar scene made me reflect on something interesting:

The changing norms of how we work and how it might influence future generations.

In today’s world, many of us advocate for flexible schedules and the freedom to work from home. Offices, once the epicenter of productivity, now feel optional to some.

So, what happens when the rhythms of our adult lives shift? Will our children start questioning the routines we’ve accepted for generations—like going to school early in the morning every day?

When I was growing up, the routine was clear: my parents went to the office, and I went to school. We all woke up early, had breakfast as a family at 6:30 a.m., and went our separate ways. It felt normal because that was life as we knew it.

Now, I work primarily from home, and my partner works from home completely. And we are pretty happy with this setup.

But imagine this: in 5-10 years, when our (future) kids wake up in the morning and see us working from home, what’s stopping them from asking:

“Why do I have to leave home when you don’t?”

This question opens up a world of possibilities for education. Homeschooling is already on the rise, and technology continues to make remote and hybrid learning more accessible. Perhaps the traditional daily school routine will evolve into something more flexible, affordable, and personalized.

But I also wonder about the trade-offs. Primary school, for instance, isn’t just about academics—it’s a space to socialize, build friendships, and experience the world outside of the home. At the same time, I think about how repetitive and one-size-fits-all structures at schools can hurt creativity. Reflecting on my own education journey in Turkey, I sometimes feel that spending years in the same system with rigid expectations definitely killed some of my creative instincts.

Could breaking away from the daily grind of traditional school systems unleash a new wave of creativity for kids? Or would they lose something essential by not experiencing the social and emotional growth that comes from being in a shared physical space every day?

These are questions I find myself asking during my walk to the office, and I’d love to hear your thoughts.

How do you imagine the future of education will look as work and life evolve?

Cheers,

Curious Sidika