Elon Musk's new primary school set to open in Bastrop, Texas this September

The new school, named Ad Astra, will draw on Montessori-style learning, will be STEM-centered, and will emphasize project-based learning.

It’s just been announced that Elon Musk’s new-concept primary/elementary school Ad Astra will open this September (pursuant to a license from Texas Health and Human Services.)

Ad Astra announces the school’s launch on X

The school will cater for 3 - 9 year olds, but will not follow the usual practice of placing students in age-defined year groups. Instead, it will create multi-age progressive learning environments that are focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and are designed to foster “the next generation of problem solvers and builders.”

Reports indicate that the long term plan is to extend the school to a full K-12 establishment, with aspirations for a full-blown university somewhere down the line. However, the first step is to get the primary/elementary component of this very Musk-like learning vision off the ground.

And given Musk’s backing, I suspect that the opening of the school will raise plenty of eyebrows.

On one hand, there are certainly opportunities to rethink the whole learning chain from kindergarten to higher education in the light of how advanced technologies and other factors are changing the world we live in.

As we grapple with navigating increasingly transformative advanced technology transitions (including how AI is transforming nearly every aspect of our lives), there’s a growing need to address how education and leaning are a part of this. And I’m intrigued to see how Ad Astra fits in here and, in particular, advances thinking around education in a post-AI world.

On the other hand, this is an Elon Musk-backed enterprise, with all the baggage that this comes with. And given that Musk is increasingly exhibiting ideas, beliefs, and philosophies, that many would blanch at as a foundation for educating young people, I suspect that the school will garner a lot of attention — especially if there’s even the faintest whiff of it setting out to indoctrinate students in a very Musk-like way of thinking.

Fortunately, Elon Musk’s enterprises tend to be led by level headed executives who focus on the foundational science and technology rather than the rhetoric — and I suspect that Ad Astra will be the same, with competent leadership and skilled teachers.

But people will be watching closely to see if this is a bold experiment in developing the thinkers and leaders of a future, or merely an incubator for mini-Musks.

Hopefully it’ll be the former, because irrespective of who’s backing Ad Astra, there’s a growing need for innovative approaches to learning as we face a future that’s likely to be radically different from the past.