The School System Was Built for a World That No Longer Exists

In this episode I sit down with Ataullah Parkar – Principal, Government Advisor, and Expert in Education Transformation.

We speak about what’s really happening inside schools. Why the UK curriculum is broken, how to raise children in a digital world, and the difference between real learning and just getting high grades.

We dive into:

The danger of screen time and digital addiction
Why your child’s spirituality matters more than school rankings
How to set tech rules at home that actually work
The lost art of manners, conversation and social skills
And the one skill that gives children the biggest head start in life

This episode is packed with insight for parents who want more than just good grades – they want to raise strong, thoughtful, well-rounded humans.

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Timestamps

00:00 - Coming Up
00:53 - Introduction  
05:26 - Why I Chose Education  
07:12 - Can Schools Truly Combine Faith and Academic Excellence?  
10:55 - Why the Curriculum Needs to Change  
14:35 - What Skills Do Kids Really Need?  
19:24 - Teaching Children Social Skills  
21:58 - The Truth About Screen Time  
26:12 - What I Learned from “How to Break Up with Your Phone”  
29:46 - How to Set Tech Boundaries at Home  
35:54 - What to Do When Your Child “Hates” the Rules  
42:26 - One Habit That Changes Everything  
53:18 - What’s Wrong with Standardised Testing  
59:34 - My Favourite Part of Being a Principal  
1:01:43 - The Hardest Part of Being a Principal  
1:08:05 - Our New Girls’ Tarbiyah Class at ISCS 

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Who is Ataullah Parkar?

Ataullah Parkar is the Executive Principal at the International School of Creative Science in Dubai. With over a decade of senior leadership experience in both the UK and UAE, he’s shaped schools through strategy, inspections, and curriculum reform. He has advised the UK government on GCSE and vocational reforms, taught educational transformation at university level, and led national qualifications for school leaders.

What makes Ataullah’s work unique is his commitment to nurturing children not just academically, but spiritually and morally. He’s passionate about faith-based education, meaningful learning, and building school environments that shape character as much as they build knowledge.

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Ataullah Parkar Socials

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ataullah-parkar-a4845627/
https://x.com/atparkar

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Raising Humans Socials

https://www.instagram.com/raisinghumans.ae/
https://www.instagram.com/mghanch/
https://www.tiktok.com/@raisinghumans.ae

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Hashtags

#RaisingHumans #AtaullahParkar #ParentingPodcast #MuslimParenting #FaithBasedEducation #DigitalAddiction #ScreenTimeAwareness #IslamicParenting #CurriculumReform #UKEducationSystem #EducationTransformation #CharacterDevelopment #SocialSkillsForKids #RaisingBoys #QuranEducation #SpiritualParenting #SchoolLeadership #ModernParenting #ChrisWilliamsonStyle #AIInEducation #HolisticEducation #ValuesBasedLearning

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