As we marked the International Day of Education on 24 January, there is a global shift in power as the traditional hierarchy of 'teacher teaches, student listens' is being challenged by a new mandate. This year, the international theme places the spotlight squarely on 'the power of youth in co-creating education'.

Across South Africa and the globe, millions of students, educators and policymakers observed the International Day of Education with a singular focus: transforming young people from passive beneficiaries of learning into active architects of their own future.

In a world grappling with climate crises and widening inequality, the United Nations is highlighting youth as essential partners in modern education.

This year's theme drives home an important reality that, while youth under 30 make up more than half the world's population, they remain largely underrepresented in the decisions that shape their lives.

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Democratising education

"We are moving beyond consultation to co-creation," states the latest Unesco briefing released ahead of the global summit in Paris. To truly co-create, we must commit to democratising education.

This involves dismantling the barriers that keep knowledge gated behind high costs or exclusive institutions.

By leveraging open-source educational resources and decentralising decision-making power, we ensure that students from all walks of life have ownership over their learning journey.

Democratisation means that the curriculum is influenced by the diverse voices of the student body it serves.

Increasing access to education

According to Unesco's Global Education Monitoring Report, 2023, around 272 million children are still out of school globally....