Did you ever wonder whether education has a role to play in preparing our societies for an age of artificial intelligence? Or what the impact of climate change might be on our schools, families and communities? Or what the shift in global economic power towards new countries will mean for education? Preparing for the future of education requires situating it within expected global economic, political, social and technological mega-trends. We must consider not only the future changes that appear most probable, but also the changes that we aren’t already expecting, and the many ways in which the world could be very different to the one we live in today. This means complementing trend analysis with a consideration of future changes that cannot yet be captured in data—such as the unprecedented digital transformation of the global economy and society. This presentation will use a set of trends to ask questions and stimulate reflection on the challenges facing the future of education – and on how and whether education can influence these trends.

Tracey Burns is a Senior Analyst in the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation. She heads a portfolio of projects including Trends Shaping Education, 21st Century Children and Innovative Teaching for Effective Learning. Her most recent OECD publication is Educating 21st Century Children: Emotional Well-Being in the Digital Age. She was also responsible for the future thinking tool: Trends Shaping Education 2019. Previous to her time at the OECD she worked as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at The University of Britbia, and was an award-winning lecturer on infant and child development. Tracey holds a B.A. from McGill University, Canada, and an M.A. and Doctor of Philosophy in psychology from Northeastern University, USA.