Young people must be “really involved” in the transformation of education

However, stark inequalities persist (in the poorest countries, 36 percent of children and youth are out of school, compared to just 3 percent in the richest), underscoring the urgent need to adopt inclusive, youth-driven approaches to education policies and transformation.

On the eve of International Education Day, whose theme this year is “The power of youth in the co-creation of education”, UN News Charlotte Frantz spoke with UNESCO’s Marco Pasqualini and Jacques Kwibuka, a young UN leader from Rwanda, about the importance of youth voices in shaping education systems around the world.

Marco Pasqualini: When it comes to education, young people have a particular interest because they are the main beneficiaries of education and because educational priorities and reforms have a direct impact on them.

Co-creating education means giving them a voice in defining their priorities and recognizing young people’s willingness to make significant changes.

Jacques Kwibuka: In the past, those who designed policies in the education sector thought about what they were going to implement, assuming that, because they were young, they already understood what young people face.

But with co-creation we not only think about young people, we involve them and give them the space and freedom to contribute to the program or policy that is being developed.

It is not just about consulting young people, but about truly involving them in the decision-making process of the policy, model or system that is being built.

Marco Pasqualini: Despite the great progress that has been made, inequalities in access to education remain very strong. There are still 272 million children and young people out of school and regional disparities remain marked.

In the poorest countries, out-of-school children and youth represent 36 percent of the school-age population, compared to 3 percent in the richest countries alone.

These inequalities are even greater for youth with disabilities, ethnic and linguistic minorities, refugees and migrants, as well as LGBTQ youth.

Jacques Kwibuka: Two categories of challenges stand out to me.

The first has to do with mentality: the mentality of elders or institutions, especially those who work in education.

They often underestimate the voices of young people. They want to hear what young people think, but without giving them a real opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way.

Another challenge related to mentality is on the side of young people. Many young people, especially in rural areas, tend to weaken themselves due to low self-esteem or because they think that such opportunities are only for people with a high level of education. Even when given the opportunity to contribute to the design or creation of a policy, they hold back and do not speak up.

Organizations like UNESCO should create more open spaces, including online platforms, to demonstrate that when young people (especially children) participate meaningfully in the co-creation of education systems, outcomes improve.

When young people do not fully participate in shaping education systems or school environments, gaps in learning and misinformation often result.

Marco Pasqualini: In fact, the lack of platforms is also one of the main barriers.

So what we created a few years ago is a network of young people, who I like to call leaders and

experts, because young people really have experience in education. It is called the SDG4 Youth and Students Network. Today we have 110 members from 80 countries, who were selected from 5,000 applicants.

The opportunity they have through this SDG4 Youth and Student Network to sit down with leaders is really generating a lot of visibility and interest.

SDG4 is sustainable development goal number four of the sustainable development agenda, which focuses on quality education. It is a global commitment to achieve a certain level of quality education by 2030.

Jacques Kwibuka: I have hope for the future. As technology improves, young people are becoming more informed and significantly engaged.

In Rwanda, many young people lead initiatives that support education. With platforms, like those supported by UNICEF, we empower each other and strengthen our collective voice.

If this continues, I believe the future will include meaningful participation of youth and children in co-creating health and education models and systems, in Rwanda and beyond.

Marco Pasqualini: Even though the world is in turmoil and multilateralism is unfortunately at stake, I see great interest in education and that everyone wants to be part of the conversation.

UNESCO is the leading United Nations agency for education. Our commitment is very strong. And in my case, I am very happy to be here. I think it is the right place to be at the center of this process of change in education.