Education systems are preparing young people for a world that no longer exists.”
This warning, shared at the 8th Global Forum on the Future of Education and Skills 2040, captured the urgency facing education systems today. As artificial intelligence reshapes labour markets and the green transition accelerates, it is important to analyse whether education systems are truly preparing young people with the skills, agency and resilience they need for the future.
That question was discussed at the forum, which brought together hundreds of policymakers, teachers, researchers and youth representatives from across the world. They gathered in the concrete halls of Hotel Bôrik, nestled close to Bratislava Castle. The setting itself, part elegant, part austere, felt symbolic of the moment: education systems built for the past, struggling to meet the demands of the future.
I attended the 3-day event as a member of Youthwise, the OECD’s youth advisory board which consists of 24 young people aged between 18 to 30 from across OECD member countries. Over the course of the week, one thing was made abundantly clear: young people are not just stakeholders to be consulted about education reform, they are co-architects of its future. If policymakers truly want future-ready education systems, young people must be involved in designing them.
Why this matters for the education community
The idea that education is falling behind reality is not rhetorical. According to the OECD, approximately 27% of jobs across OECD countries are expected to change significantly due to AI and automation, with many roles transformed rather than eliminated outright. At the same time, employers report a persistent mismatch between the skills taught in education systems and those demanded by the labour market, particularly in areas such as critical thinking, digital literacy, problem-solving and adaptability.
From numerous conversations with my friends and young colleagues, I can certainly say that young people are acutely aware of this gap. OECD data reinforce this picture, showing rising levels of uncertainty and anxiety among students about their future careers, driven by rapid technological change, climate transitions and economic volatility. OECD PISA data tell a similar story: nearly half (47%) of 15-year-old students across OECD countries worry that they are not prepared for life after compulsory schooling, and a similar amount (49%) agrees that their education has done little to prepare them for adult life.
At the forum, young perspectives aligned strongly with the OECD Learning Compass 2030, which emphasises learner agency, co-agency and the ability to navigate complexity with purpose. These principles are not theoretical. They are increasingly practical tools for classrooms and systems trying to respond to the fast-changing world. Across discussions, young participants consistently highlighted four priorities:
- Adaptability: The need for curricula to evolve alongside technological, societal and environmental change continuously, rather than once per decade.
- Inclusion: Learning environments should recognise diverse backgrounds, abilities, and learning pathways, and actively reduce inequality.
- Future-ready skills: Schools need to teach critical thinking, digital and AIliteracy, collaboration, and resilience beyond rote memorisation.
- Wellbeing: Education systems should value identity, belonging, and mental health as much as academic achievement.
These priorities reflect lived realities: students navigating outdated curricula, teachers struggling to integrate new tools and communities facing growing disparities.
Learning from Slovak schools
One of the most valuable aspects of the Forum was the opportunity to visit Slovak schools and observe how these ideas translate into practice. In several classrooms, teachers were experimenting with new pedagogies, integrating AI tools, and strengthening both teacher and student agency. Importantly, technology was not treated as the only solution. Instead, educators used it as a way to rethink learning, encouraging students to explore concepts more deeply, personalise their learning and collaborate in more meaningful ways.
My visit to the Slovak University of Technology (STU) further demonstrated how AI can support learning when embedded thoughtfully. Students there showcased projects ranging from engineering prototypes to data-driven design tools, showing how AI could enhance their practical experience and support them to solve problems.
Real world innovation
Beyond the formal sessions, the forum showcased powerful examples of how education systems respond under extreme pressure and what others can learn from them.
Anna Duchenko, a Ukrainian elementary school teacher, shared how AI-enabled tools are supporting children’s learning in Ukraine, including in bunkers and displacement settings. These tools are used to maintain continuity of education when schools are inaccessible, helping students follow curricula, access learning materials offline and receive psychological support. Her contribution illustrated that in crisis contexts, AI is not about optimisation, it is about access, safety and dignity.
Suzanne Choo, a university professor from Singapore, introduced a reimagined Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for the digital age, reframing learning through the lens of wellbeing, belonging and identity. She argued that before learners can engage meaningfully with AI-enhanced education, systems must ensure psychological safety, digital trust and a sense of purpose.
Conversations with David Cristea, a student from Romania, and Love Basillote, a senior consultant from Philippine Institute for Development Studies, further underscored how crisis-affected countries are redesigning education systems with flexibility, empathy and humanity. From modular curricula to community-based learning and trauma-informed pedagogy, these approaches demonstrate that resilience is not built through technology alone, but through values-driven system design. Together, these examples reinforced a central insight: Technology alone will not fix education. It is people, including young people, their values, and their collaboration, that will.
A Youthwise perspective
Through Youthwise, I have seen young people already leading initiatives on digital inclusion, wellbeing, sustainability and access to education. Global forums like this one matter because they create bridges between generations, countries, ideas and implementation. For the education community, the next step is not simply to listen to young people. It is to embed youth co-creation into policy design, school governance and classroom practice.
Three practical actions stand out:
- Establish youth advisory structures at school, municipal and national levels.
- Integrate student agency into teaching practice, using frameworks such as the OECD Learning Compass 2030.
- Invest in teacher training that supports AI-literacy, inclusive pedagogy, and wellbeing-centred approaches, as outlined in the OECD Teaching Compass.
Finally, young people are not just the future of education, we are also the present. The forum showed what becomes possible when young people are not merely consulted, but genuinely empowered. And Initiatives like Youthwise demonstrate how young people can help design education systems that are resilient, inclusive and fit for the realities ahead.
If you want to learn more about Youthwise and current opportunities for youth engagement, visit the Youthwise website.