Feature · The future of learning
Preparing learners for a world still taking shape
Critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, adaptability and AI literacy — and the deeper question of what education is for.
Updated · 7 min read
Children starting school today will spend most of their lives in a world none of us can describe in detail. That uncertainty is not a reason for despair; it is a reason to think carefully about what kinds of knowledge, skills and dispositions will remain valuable however the world changes.
Capacities that last
International frameworks, including the OECD Learning Compass 2030, point to a set of capacities that complement subject knowledge.
Critical thinking
Weighing evidence, recognising bias, and changing one's mind for good reasons.
Creativity
Generating original ideas and making them work in the real world.
Communication
Explaining clearly, listening carefully, and adapting to different audiences and media.
Collaboration
Working with people who think differently towards a shared goal.
Adaptability
Learning new things, recovering from setbacks, and coping with uncertainty.
Responsible technology use
Digital tools are part of children's lives. Education can help them use technology deliberately: to create rather than only consume, to protect their attention and privacy, and to understand how platforms shape what they see.
Interpretation
AI literacy
Generative AI makes some tasks easier and some forms of learning harder to see. AI literacy means understanding what these systems are, where they fail, how to use them ethically, and when not to use them at all. UNESCO's 2024 AI competency framework for students offers one starting point.
Interpretation
What is education for?
Preparing children for jobs is part of the answer, but not all of it. Education also prepares people to live well with others, to participate in public life, and to care for the planet. UNESCO describes this as a new social contract for education. The question worth asking is not only what children should know, but who they will be able to become.
References
- OECD Learning Compass 2030 — OECD
- Reimagining our futures together: a new social contract for education — UNESCO (2021)
- AI competency framework for students — UNESCO (2024)
- National core curriculum for basic education 2014 — Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI)
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