25/09/2026
Nothing About Us, Without Us.
At UNGA81, Transform Schools hosted a conversation at Education House on 22 September, bringing adolescents to the centre of discussions on the future of secondary education and a conversation that moved beyond enrolment, completion and jobs, and asked a more fundamental question: what does school actually feel like for the person sitting in the classroom?
The adolescents spoke about the difference between entering a school and feeling that you belong there. They spoke about the students who are noticed and those who remain invisible, the barriers created by poverty, gender and caste, the need for safer spaces, and the importance of having opportunities to discover their interests, build confidence and shape their futures.
As Aafreen from India put it:
“A child can be average, but a teacher’s attention shouldn’t be average.”
The conversation also challenged how we define success in secondary education. As Camila from Lemann Foundation noted, “Before building confidence, agency, or creativity, students need a sense of belonging.” And Giovanna from Uganda asked us to look beyond conventional outcomes: “Beyond marks and jobs, what can we do to make sure that every young person leaves school feeling like they have support for their mental health?”
These were not simply reflections on what schools should do differently. They were a call to rethink who gets to shape the conversation about education in the first place.
The session reinforced a simple but important principle: adolescents must have a meaningful role in shaping the education systems designed for them.
Listening to young people is not the end of the conversation — it is where meaningful change begins.
