Transforming Education For The Youth By The Youth

November 20 is always a special date on my calendar. It is World Children’s Day!

An annual day of action for children, by children.

But, this day is not an annual event to hear the youth (and then put them aside better), it is a celebration of actions to sustainably include youth in the societal transformation. Each year, this day reminds me “Why” and -most importantly- “How” we need to act to reach the 17 Global Goals.

We will not achieve the 17 Global Goals without a profound transformation of education. Not just because Goal 4 is about Quality Education, but because how we raise the next generation is at the heart of each of the Global Goals.

My name is Hugo, I am 24 years old and if you are a young person like me, it can often feel like there is a lot to be scared of in this world. Fear may sometimes feel like your constant companion. But beyond this fear I have hope. I have hope in our education system. If we give the keys to each young person to understand and act at his or her level, then we can achieve the 17 Global Goals.

Goal 4: Quality Education is an essential lever for the systemic changes we need. It is at the root of our personal, collective, and structural transformations. But education is not a technical problem to which we respond with technical solutions. It is an extremely political, cultural, and artistic issue. It must be approached holistically. What if we redefine education as young people ourselves?

Incredible initiatives exist around the world such as Dream a Dream, the Learning Planet Institute, or Ticket for Change. But we lack the resources to scale up these types of initiatives. Cooperation is not facilitated between the grassroots, universities, NGOs, youth movements, and institutional organizations.

“Nothing about us, without us”

We need to create agile structures based on ‘learning communities’ of students and teachers. By empowering young people to learn from their environment, from others, and from themselves, we create an educational framework that really meets their needs.

Much of our education is built during our childhood and adolescence. During this period of our lives, we are often passive, we are spectators of our own life. We are taught things that are sometimes outdated with methods that do not fit our needs. That’s why I believe it is so important for today’s children and young people to have a say in their own learning and education. I believe that the World’s Largest Lesson’s Transforming Education survey is a great place to start. The survey is a rare opportunity given to every child everywhere to have a say on their education and share their voices. so start transforming education today by sharing the survey with a child you know.

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About the Author
Hugo Paul is a youth committed to the learning transition of an ecological society and the founder of Into the Tribes.