The future of our planet must be locally and democratically envisioned. It is only through collective and individual actions that harness our rich diversity of peoples and cultures that the futures we want can be realized.
Humanity has only one planet; however, we do not share its resources well or use them in a sustainable manner. Unacceptable inequalities exist between different regions of the world. We are far from achieving gender equality for women and girls. Despite the promise of the ability of technology to connect us, vast digital divides remain, particularly in Africa. There are extensive power asymmetries in people’s ability to access and create knowledge.
Education is the key pathway to address these entrenched inequalities. Building on what we know, we need to transform education. Classrooms and schools are essential, but they will need to be constructed and experienced differently in the future. Education must build skills needed in 21st century workplaces, taking into account the changing nature of work and the different ways that economic security can be provisioned. Furthermore, global financing for education must be expanded to ensure that the universal right to education is protected.
Respect for human rights and concern for education as a common good must become the central threads that stitch together our shared world and interconnected future. As this report argues, these two universal principles must become foundational in education everywhere. The right to quality education everywhere and learning that builds the capabilities of individuals to work together for shared benefit provide the foundation for flourishing, diverse futures of education. With consistent commitment to human rights and the common good, we will be able to sustain and benefit from the rich tapestry of different ways of knowing and being in the world that humanity’s cultures and societies bring to formal and informal learning, and to the knowledge we are able to share and assemble together.
This report is the result of the collective work of the International Commission on the Futures of Education, established by UNESCO in 2019. Recognizing the commitment and contributions that came from all members of our diverse and geographically distributed group, I would particularly like to thank António Nóvoa, the Ambassador of Portugal to UNESCO, who chaired the Commission’s research and drafting committee. The proposals presented in Reimagining Our Futures Together arise out of a global engagement and co-construction process which showed
The Commission’s work over the past two years was shaped by the global health pandemic, and members of the Commission were acutely aware of challenges faced by children, youth, and learners of all ages who faced extensive school closures. It is to the students and teachers whose lives were disrupted by COVID, and to their remarkable efforts to ensure wellbeing, growth, and the continuation of learning in trying circumstances, that we dedicate Reimagining Our Futures Together.
Our hope is that the proposals contained here, and the public dialogue and collective action called for, will serve as a catalyst to shape futures for humanity and the planet that are peaceful, just, and sustainable.
HE Sahle-Work Zewde
Chair of the International Commission for the Futures of Education
President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia