The Salzburg Statement for Education Transformation

The Salzburg Statement for Education Transformation

A GLOBAL MOMENT FOR EDUCATION TRANSFORMATION

CASE FOR ACTION

Education leaders, policymakers, and

they have created opportunities for profound education changes. These crises have

funders in every context are making

clarified paramount lessons about equity and access, and have highlighted the

decisions about how to transform

importance of technology in providing learning continuity. They have showed how

learning and education. This moment

vital it is to engage students, teachers, parents and caregivers, and communities

offers an unparalleled opportunity to step back, ask big questions, and think differently about what to aim for and how to get there.

The COVID-19 pandemic and multiple societal and ecological crises in recent years have revealed the crucial importance of education around the world. What is more,

in school, and provided further evidence that fostering self-knowledge, learning the skills to manage relationships, regulate emotions, appreciate differing perspectives and building resilience are just as important as literacy and numeracy.

These crises have showed us how our education systems can evolve, and ultimately transform, to support all students to thrive.

A growing global consensus for education transformation is emerging to prepare young people for their futures and our sights need to be set on transformation, not reform. While reform starts with processes and improves the system, transformation

EDUCATION FUTURES: SHAPING A NEW EDUCATION STORY In May 2022, 51 Salzburg Global Fellows from 20 countries came together to ask bold and challenging questions about education: •

What kind of societies are we aiming for and how could transformed education systems help us to get there?

•

What would an education system look like that supported all learners to build the capabilities, skills and knowledge they need to transform the world?

begins with values and mindsets and changes the purpose of the system.

•

What do we need to change within ourselves to facilitate this process?

Reform results in a better version

•

What are the conversations and questions that are required to initiate long-term transformation?

of existing systems; transformation results in different systems. To equip every young person to thrive throughout life, we must focus on

The first output of this collective effort is the following call to action for policymakers, learners, educators, and parents to intervene in education systems to bring about fundamental and lasting transformations. This is not a blueprint

transformation and less on reform and

as every system will transform in different ways, but this is a call for everyone

incremental improvement.

who has power, agency and voice to use it to build the education systems that

Salzburg Global Fellows from the May 2022 program Education Futures: Shaping A New Education Story leaned into global research by Big

are needed for human and planetary flourishing this century.

•

that will help all young people thrive and become active citizens.

•

left out of the process.

new-education-story/) and UNESCO’s en.unesco.org/futuresofeducation).

The reports act as starting points to ask the right questions.

Contextualizing and identifying actions is a collective effort.

SalzburgGlobal.org

If you have power, agency and voice, acknowledge that this will be different to other people’s and use your opportunities to include those who might be

Change (https://big-change.org/ Futures of Education initiative (https://

If you have power, agency and voice, use it to advocate for the kind of education

•

If you work in government or education networks, recommit to the achievement of SDG 4.7 to ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.

The Salzburg Statement for Education Transformation was jointly drafted in English by Salzburg Global Fellows.

Key questions to help with thinking about education transformation:

DRIVERS TO TRANSFORM EDUCATION SYSTEMS

•

already transforming in ways we admire, ask questions of them and look for

Three drivers begin to indicate a

opportunities to work together?

theory of action, directing decision makers to the places to intervene

What if each of us could learn from other education systems that are

•

What if each of us could contribute to and conduct national conversations

in education systems at sufficient

with education stakeholders, particularly young people, about the Purpose,

depth to bring about fundamental

Power and Practice of education systems so that mindsets can begin to shift?

and lasting changes. These drivers of transformation emerged from

•

current reform and transformation efforts to inform better policymaking?

research with global pioneers and changemakers. They are not linear and individual but very much interlinked

•

What if learners could organize with peers to take an active role in the learning process and life of your institution?

and need to work together to support transformation towards more

What if each of us could harness insights and evidence from previous and

•

What if every system could harness innovative pedagogies and seek ways to

equitable, sustainable, and learner-

embed them into practice so that learners could develop the full breadth of

centred futures.

skills needed to thrive in today’s complex world?

PURPOSES

•

learning ecosystems for young people?

Redefine the goals and outcomes of the education system to reflect the challenges and opportunities of

•

globally and act locally?

defining the purposes of education, priorities.

POWER

What if schools could provide every student with a holistic and interconnected view of the world, its challenges, and solutions by encouraging them to think

the future. Engage stakeholders in so it reflects communities’ values and

What if every school could improve parental engagement to build stronger

•

What if educators were positioned alongside learners as central to education policy and systems transformation?

The experiences of different crises in recent years and the Sustainable

Expand who has voice and agency by

Development Goals target of 2030 have created a remarkable window of

investing in educators and learners

opportunity for education transformation in the next few years.

so they can make confident decisions about learning and education. Enable a wide range of stakeholders to take part in decision making.

PRACTICE Unlock innovation by enabling those working in education to create and share learning innovations with the greatest potential to transform the system and reimagine pedagogical approaches.

For more information, please visit: www.salzburgglobal.org/go/education

There is a collective responsibility to seize this moment and transform education systems, so they enable all learners to develop the skills and competencies necessary for thriving in the century ahead.