The UN Secretary-General’s message in this policy brief is unambiguous: education as currently constituted is not fit for purpose. Not marginally deficient — fundamentally misaligned with what individuals, societies and economies actually need.
The brief identifies two interlocking crises. The first is a crisis of equity: hundreds of millions of children remain out of school entirely, and billions more who are in school are not acquiring even foundational literacy and numeracy, let alone the thinking and social-emotional skills they need. The second is a crisis of relevance: for those who do progress through school, what they are learning and how they are being taught reflects a world that no longer exists. Education systems remain largely oriented toward rote learning and the passive transfer of predetermined content, producing graduates who are poorly equipped for an era of automation, climate disruption, digital complexity and social division.
The brief sets out six principles for transformation. Curricula and pedagogies must be made relevant for today and tomorrow — shifting away from rigid rote learning toward flexible, learner-centred approaches built on enquiry, curiosity, cooperation and collaborative problem-solving. The role of teachers must be repositioned from knowledge-deliverers to creative guides and facilitators who support learners to gather, critically analyse and apply knowledge rather than simply receive it. Education must shift toward an integrated, lifelong learning model rather than a fixed pipeline, and it must become genuinely inclusive — prioritising learner wellbeing, mental health and the needs of the most marginalised.
For the institute’s audience in Victoria, this brief provides the global governance framing for arguments the hub makes at the local level. When we say that education needs to be redefined — not merely reformed — this is the international consensus behind that claim.