Education for just and democratic societies
Young people’s trust in governments has dropped to historic lows in the last 15 years, driven by growing concerns about socioeconomic inequalities and corruption. In parallel, the digitalization of societies has accelerated the flow of disinformation and hate speech, compounded by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At a time of democratic backsliding and declining trust in governments, education must be transformed to forge a new social contract. UNESCO develops educational programmes to prepare learners to become informed and responsible citizens by:
Providing educational resources and interactive pedagogies that help learners to be aware of their rights and responsibilities and encourage them to actively engage in their societies;
Working with teacher trainers to develop digital citizenship skills to develop digital citizenship skills such as critical thinking, empathy and collaboration to prepare learners to act ethically in an the increasingly digital, information-rich and fast-changing world; and
Encouraging children and youth to have a say in subjects that affect them and engage with policy-makers in promoting students’ participation in rebuilding just and democratic societies.
