Curiosity, critical thinking and collaboration are key
According to UNESCO (and its 2025 SDG 4 Scorecard), around 272 million children and young people worldwide are out of school (i.e. not enrolled at any primary, secondary or upper secondary level). And educating them is much cheaper than sending a rocket into space, and the ROI is higher when you consider the long-term social, economic, and human benefits. Each additional year of schooling increases lifetime earnings by an average of 9 to 10 percent, reduces child mortality, and enables individuals to contribute to society in innovative ways. Meanwhile, trillions of dollars spent on high-profile scientific endeavors, while inspiring, only impact a fraction of the population. The contrast is clear. While some marvel at technology in orbit, millions of children remain ground-bound in terms of opportunities as a result of the learning crisis.
However, the learning crisis continues even among children attending school. According to UNESCO, approximately 617 million children and adolescents worldwide do not reach minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics. This is a silent crisis of lack of education. Registration alone is not enough. Without effective learning, a school is like a building without light. This is where the learning industry can and must intervene. Technology, innovative curriculum, and new pedagogical approaches are no longer futuristic ideas. These are tools you can deploy today to radically expand access and improve outcomes.
Flip the classroom, flip the system
The flipped classroom model turns traditional education on its head. Children engage with new material through videos, digital content, and interactive exercises outside the classroom, allowing class time to be spent on collaboration, instruction, and guided practice.
But for this to be truly effective and to avoid a learning crisis, educators themselves need to transform the way they collaborate. Often, teachers blindly follow outdated systems, standardized tests, and rigid curricula that do not reflect the realities of the children they teach. They feel isolated, constrained, or disempowered by policies that limit their creativity.
In a reversed scenario, teachers become co-creators of the learning ecosystem rather than cogs in the machine. A network of educators who share strategies, insights, and local adaptations accelerates learning outcomes and improves engagement. Teachers in rural India can implement strategies tested by their Brazilian colleagues, adapting them to local culture and resources. Professional learning communities, online collaboration platforms, and peer mentorship programs scaffold systemic innovation.
When educators come together, teaching is no longer a solitary job, but a collective mission to elevate all learners. The ROI is significant: Children who receive meaningful instruction and personalized learning thrive, graduate, and contribute to society, multiplying the return on every dollar, time, and resource invested.
Curiosity + Critical Thinking = Human Advantage
Information is everywhere, but understanding is not. Curiosity inspires discovery. Critical thinking refines it. One without the other leads to aimless wandering or ruthless certainty. Machines can give answers, but humans have to teach them meaning.
In a world drowning in data, facts, and AI-generated summaries, the human advantage lies in cultivating minds that question, analyze, and innovate. The learning industry has a moral and strategic responsibility to prioritize this change and design solutions that develop not just knowledge but wisdom and problem-solving skills.
A call to action for learning industry leaders
The future of learning will not be built on content, but on curiosity, critical thinking, and the courage to transform outdated systems. As leaders in the learning industry, we have a choice. We can continue to follow old strategies, or we can come together, collaborate, and design experiences that truly empower our learners. Today’s socio-technical systems require more data, but the future requires bold educators and innovators who inspire.
The next generation of thinkers depends on us. Start making a difference today. Curiosity and critical thinking are the highest-paying investments humans can make, so share your ideas, question assumptions, and lead the conversation. Every system we improve, every classroom we activate, and every mindset we expand moves us closer to a world where learning empowers everyone. Educators, leaders, and innovators have the opportunity to collaborate, explore new approaches, and experiment with ways to stimulate engagement, creativity, and deep understanding. Embracing curiosity as a guide provides solutions that transform education from routine instruction to meaningful and lasting impact.
My latest book, Dismandled, provides insights and tools to reimagine education and empower all learners. Designed to help educators, leaders, and innovators unleash their creativity, break through barriers, and design learning experiences that prepare all learners for the opportunities ahead. This book provides strategies, examples, and practical guidance to rethink traditional approaches, foster an environment that fosters critical thinking, and avoid a learning crisis. The future of education begins with the actions we take now, the experiments we pursue, and the conversations we lead. Together, we can create a culture of learning that not only teaches, but also empowers, inspires and elevates people to reach their full potential.
