When Education: A Manifesto for Change was first published, my hope was simple.
I wanted to start a conversation.
Not about league tables or inspection frameworks.
Not about political ideology.
But about a much bigger question.
What is education actually for?
It’s a question that feels even more urgent today than it did when I first wrote the book.
The world our children are growing up in is almost unrecognisable from the one many of us experienced. Artificial intelligence is transforming work. Careers are becoming less predictable. Climate change, global instability and technological disruption are reshaping society at an extraordinary pace.
And yet, in too many places, education still looks remarkably similar to the system designed for a different century.
That’s not a criticism of teachers.
Far from it.
I have spent my entire career working alongside remarkable educators who dedicate their lives to helping young people flourish.
If anything, my admiration for teachers has only grown.
The challenge isn’t the people.
It’s the system.
Too often, we confuse education with schooling.
Schooling is where education happens.
It is not education itself.
Education should inspire curiosity.
It should build confidence.
It should develop character.
It should encourage creativity, collaboration, empathy and resilience.
Above all, it should prepare young people not simply to pass exams, but to live meaningful, fulfilling lives.
Examinations have an important role to play.
Knowledge matters.
Standards matter.
But they are only part of the story.
The future will not reward those who simply remember the most information.
Increasingly, knowledge is available instantly.
What will matter is how we think.
How we solve problems.
How we work with others.
How we adapt.
How we continue learning throughout our lives.
These ideas were at the heart of Education: A Manifesto for Change, and they remain just as relevant today.
In many ways, the years since the book was published have reinforced its central argument.
The pandemic reminded us that schools are about far more than academic outcomes. They are communities. They provide belonging, relationships and hope.
The rise of AI has reminded us that uniquely human qualities—creativity, curiosity, judgement and compassion—are becoming more valuable, not less.
Growing concerns about young people’s wellbeing have reminded us that success cannot simply be measured by examination results.
Education has always been about developing human potential.
That must remain our starting point.
One of the things I’ve learned throughout my career is that genuine educational change doesn’t begin with policies.
It begins with beliefs.
Do we believe children are naturally curious?
Do we believe learning should be joyful?
Do we believe mistakes are an essential part of growth?
Do we believe education should prepare young people for the world as it is—or for the world they will help create?
Our answers to those questions shape everything else.
Today, my work increasingly centres on curiosity, change and simple thinking.
People often ask whether that represents a shift from my work in education.
I don’t think it does.
I think it’s the continuation of the same conversation.
Education is fundamentally about helping people become lifelong learners.
Curiosity fuels learning.
Learning enables change.
Simple thinking helps us make sense of an increasingly complex world.
Those ideas belong not only in schools but in workplaces, communities and society as a whole.
Perhaps that’s why Education: A Manifesto for Change continues to resonate with teachers, leaders and parents around the world.
Because it isn’t really a book about schools.
It’s a book about people.
It’s about believing that every child has extraordinary potential.
It’s about trusting teachers as professionals.
It’s about creating cultures where curiosity is celebrated rather than constrained.
And it’s about recognising that education has always been our greatest investment in the future.
The challenges facing education today are undoubtedly significant.
But so too are the opportunities.
If we have the courage to ask better questions, challenge old assumptions and put human development at the heart of everything we do, then education can once again become the most powerful force for positive change in society.
That was the message when I wrote Education: A Manifesto for Change.
It’s the message I believe even more strongly today.
Because if we want a better future, there is no better place to begin than with the education we provide for the next generation.
Buy the book here: https://amzn.eu/d/09irOhmq
