s our global landscape changes, young people require education that prepares them for uncertainty. Though the world has shifted since the Transforming Education Summit, one thing hasn’t: it is still teachers who bring reforms to life. If we want to nurture a generation capable of solving complex problems, we must prioritize the people who make learning happen.
Earlier this year, my team and the Faculty of Education at Cambridge University brought together experts from nine different university departments to explore what education will look like in 2050. Researchers emphasized young people’s need for strong numeracy and data skills, knowledge of climate issues, active citizenship, creativity, resilience, and systems thinking. They must learn to evaluate information critically—a topic we looked at further at Cambridge University’s disinformation summit in April.
We must weave the skills young people need for the future throughout all subjects; short courses added to a crowded curriculum are not enough. Our Cambridge team is mapping the skills that students develop across our learning pathways, from confidence to collaboration, to get a cross–disciplinary view.
In all these discussions, it is clear that a commitment to developing children’s skills is hollow without a corresponding commitment to teachers. Teachers need to use active learning methods that encourage student inquiry, and this starts with their own skills, knowledge, and support systems.
Yet we face a teacher crisis. It’s not just about developing teachers’ skills—nations are struggling with recruiting, training, and retaining enough teachers. This threatens access to quality education for all children.
Around the world, partnerships are key to prioritizing teachers on a large scale. With budgets shrinking in parallel to increasing needs, we must keep this issue at the heart of every plan for a better future.
Teachers are also vulnerable to escalating global challenges—conflict or climate emergencies affect them as individuals. But, when we show up for teachers, students’ resilience is supported as well.
In the face of change, we must reinforce our foundations. Teachers are that foundation—AI should strengthen, not replace them.
We must support teachers. Develop them. Value them. They are the guides who will help young people navigate the future, even if the destination is uncertain.
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Teachers fundamental to education future
Image by Shubham Sharan via Unsplash.
May 15, 2025
The world is evolving rapidly, and young people require education that prepares them for uncertainty. The first step is supporting teachers, who are not only fundamental to our future of education but vulnerable to forces shaping that future, writes Jane Mann.
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s our global landscape changes, young people require education that prepares them for uncertainty. Though the world has shifted since the Transforming Education Summit, one thing hasn’t: it is still teachers who bring reforms to life. If we want to nurture a generation capable of solving complex problems, we must prioritize the people who make learning happen.
Earlier this year, my team and the Faculty of Education at Cambridge University brought together experts from nine different university departments to explore what education will look like in 2050. Researchers emphasized young people’s need for strong numeracy and data skills, knowledge of climate issues, active citizenship, creativity, resilience, and systems thinking. They must learn to evaluate information critically—a topic we looked at further at Cambridge University’s disinformation summit in April.
We must weave the skills young people need for the future throughout all subjects; short courses added to a crowded curriculum are not enough. Our Cambridge team is mapping the skills that students develop across our learning pathways, from confidence to collaboration, to get a cross–disciplinary view.
In all these discussions, it is clear that a commitment to developing children’s skills is hollow without a corresponding commitment to teachers. Teachers need to use active learning methods that encourage student inquiry, and this starts with their own skills, knowledge, and support systems.
Yet we face a teacher crisis. It’s not just about developing teachers’ skills—nations are struggling with recruiting, training, and retaining enough teachers. This threatens access to quality education for all children.
Around the world, partnerships are key to prioritizing teachers on a large scale. With budgets shrinking in parallel to increasing needs, we must keep this issue at the heart of every plan for a better future.
Teachers are also vulnerable to escalating global challenges—conflict or climate emergencies affect them as individuals. But, when we show up for teachers, students’ resilience is supported as well.
In the face of change, we must reinforce our foundations. Teachers are that foundation—AI should strengthen, not replace them.
We must support teachers. Develop them. Value them. They are the guides who will help young people navigate the future, even if the destination is uncertain.
