Preparing learners to thrive in a changing world
A message from Rod Smith
Group Managing Director, International Education
One of the rewarding parts of my role is visiting schools in our community and seeing our Pathway being so brilliantly enacted in an extraordinary range of classrooms – across ages and stages, reflecting both local and international contexts. What unites these diverse settings is the trust that schools, teachers, families and learners place in Cambridge to help prepare young people for their next step, whether continuing in education or beyond education. Yet we do not take that trust for granted. It comes with the responsibility to keep asking ourselves a fundamental question: are we helping young people prepare not just for today, but for the future?
In developing the Cambridge curriculum, we are acutely aware that as an international education organisation we are part of the community we serve, and we recognise the need for a collaborative approach. This is why we launched this consultation programme and we are delighted to have heard from over 3,000 teachers, 4,000 learners and around 50 experts who have profound insights into the challenges and opportunities ahead. We sought to understand how they see the student experience of education today, and what they think is important in preparing for a future that is being rapidly reshaped by technological advance, climate pressures, and shifting global dynamics.
"At a time of profound global change, great schools, great teachers and a clear, purposeful curriculum remain the foundations of great education."
Rod Smith
What strikes me most from this report is the clarity with which it highlights a simple truth: never has the role of schools and teachers been more important. At a time of profound global change, great schools, great teachers and a clear, purposeful curriculum remain the foundations of great education.
Yes, the challenges are significant. Technology and AI can make information more accessible than ever, but without the subject knowledge and critical thinking to evaluate and use that information wisely, young people risk being overwhelmed or even disempowered. And skills such as communication and self-management—how to learn and manage your time, how to build relationships with others, how to disagree agreeably — they are the foundations of success in a world of complexity and disruption. This is why the role of teachers, and the school environment, is irreplaceable. Because teachers foster these skills and bring knowledge to life to help students thrive. Technology can enhance this, but it cannot substitute for the human relationships, understanding and guidance that, now more than ever, lie at the heart of education.
"Technology can enhance our skills and knowledge but it cannot substitute for the human relationships, understanding and guidance which now more than ever lie at the heart of education."
Rod Smith
The world is changing, and the future of education is as yet unwritten. What gives me great confidence is the evidence in this report that together with our community of schools and teachers we can listen to students and help prepare them not only for the future they will face, but for the future they want to create.