“Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything. Maybe it’s about un-
becoming everything that isn’t really you, so you can be who you were meant to be in
the first place.”
– Paul Coelho –
Being a specialised teacher in a high-performing school environment, I recently had to give
a keynote talk on “Unlocking Soft Skills through Drama” to fellow teachers. I don’t
necessarily want to focus on Drama in this blog post, yet I would like to talk about the
importance of soft skills.
Soft skills, as a term, is a trending buzzword – in fact – it gets used so often, or in such vague
contexts, that it started to lose its original meaning and impact. Sadly, it has become a
hollow term which sounds important but doesn’t carry real meaning anymore.
So … what are soft skills then?
Well, soft skills are the personal attributes, social abilities, and communication skills that
enable individuals to interact effectively and harmoniously with others. They include
qualities such as teamwork, adaptability, empathy, problem-solving, leadership, and
emotional intelligence.
On the contrary, we refer to “hard” skills (or technical skills) as the abilities or knowledge that
can be measured and tested, such as reading, writing, coding, or operating equipment as
specific and measurable skills.
In the academic world, soft skills are often frowned upon or perceived as less important
when compared to traditional hard skills. It makes sense! We are all human after all and as
human beings we prefer order and predictability, choosing systems and the known over
uncertainty and openness.
When we look at the importance of Drama, Music or Art in education, educators mostly
agree that these said disciplines are used to instil soft skills. Elliot Eisner, a pioneer in arts
education, said: “Drama’s aim is not necessarily to create professional actors or artists. The
mission is to create more complete human beings – critical thinkers with curious minds, who
can lead productive lives.”
Sadly, because curricula remain heavily focused on hard skills, the arts (our most powerful
vehicle for nurturing soft skills) are often overshadowed by the long-standing emphasis on
quantifiable knowledge and intellectual performance. This creates a one-dimensional
approach to education. In doing so, we fail to equip our pupils with the opportunity to grow
into whole, balanced human beings.
If the aim of soft skills is to develop balanced human beings, then it is reasonable to argue
that they should rather be called “life skills.” Soft skills form the very foundation that enables
us to engage meaningfully with life and with others. Simply put, soft skills are life itself, the
heartbeat of our humanity.
Lev Vygotsky, in his Social Learning Theory, argued that every skill in a child’s development
first emerges socially, through interaction with others, before it can be mastered individually.
For example, before a child acquires a hard skill such as reading, he must first participate in
educational social environments that emphasise communication and collaboration. These
experiences form the foundation for later academic and personal success. The intrinsic
always precedes the extrinsic. It is therefore vital that subjects which cultivate soft skills,
such as the arts, are never dismissed as mere play but recognised as structured social
learning that nurtures essential life skills.
What is a good school, then? It is not the school that diminishes play in the curriculum, but
the one that creates even more opportunities for it.
According to CASEL, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning,
“Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults
acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand
and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy, establish and
maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.”
Perhaps the time has come to take a hard look at soft skills.
Recognising that soft skills form the foundation for executing hard skills effectively, and even
more importantly, for succeeding in life and relationships, as soft skills can be seen as an
innate survival kit … We should view the current emphasis on academic excellence and
standardised testing as an obstacle to developing well-rounded individuals. Integrating soft
skills alongside core subjects such as Maths is NOT a luxury; it is essential for nurturing
motivated, creative, and resilient pupils who are equipped to navigate all aspects of life.
A fellow colleague recently remarked that her mother always said any school in South Africa
can be considered decent, as all schools should be CAPS-aligned. The foundation is largely
the same (and this is not an argument for or against the sufficiency of CAPS). The key point
is that all children receive the same basic academic foundation by the time they complete
matric. The search for an excellent school, however, lies in the silent moments – the pauses
– when traditional instruction is not taking place. What are our children learning when hard
skills are not formally taught? That is where the true difference emerges.
For this very reason, I chose to move my children to a Waldorf school. After extensive
research and reflecting on my own experiences with various educational systems, I realised
that the Waldorf approach is one of the few that truly and organically instils soft skills as part
of its ethos – especially during the “silent moments.” My children create their own
workbooks, make their own bags, work in vegetable gardens, play in the mud, build houses
in the forest, go on walks … Through these experiences, they learn to manage emotions,
build relationships, and make responsible decisions. They learn life’s lessons without
knowing it, soft skills weaving through their days like invisible threads. These children are
being trained not only to participate in the world, but to transform it.
The silent moments matter most. It is in these spaces that courage, empathy, and resilience
quietly take shape. A school that values these moments, rather than keeping children busy
with purely extrinsic concerns, provides the best environment for them to grow into well-
rounded, capable individuals.
Hard skills are like the armour we put on – visible, measurable, and shaped by the world
outside us. Soft skills, however, are like the heartbeat – unseen, intrinsic, and driving
everything from within. In the end, it is the heartbeat that sustains us, for intrinsic motivation
endures long after external measures fade.
Disillusioned Dad
29 August 2025